Mass Effect: Meus Mundus
by cthulu1
Summary: What if Tali wasn't the only one in that alley on the wards? What if the reapers weren't controlled by a retarded glowing kid? Well, this is one way I'd answer quite a few of the what ifs of the Mass Effect Universe. Main romance is FemShep and Miranda, but there will be others. Even some unusual ones. Please read and review.
1. Prologue

"Did you bring it?" A turian asked.

"Where are the Shadow Broker and Fist?" Asked Tali

"They'll be here. Where's the evidence?"

"I'm not going to give it to anyone but the Broker himself." She said.

"That is... unfortunate." the turian said, "The Broker does not appreciate clients who refuse to work with his agents."

Tali said, "Then the deal's off." before throwing a grenade in between the two salarian assassins, and shooting at the turian assassin. However, her shot missed and the turian grabbed her by the throat and said, "You little!" but was interrupted by Shepard's round flying through his skull.

Shepard looked at a nearby crate and said, "It's perfectly safe, you can show yourself now." When no one came out, she said, "Your tac-cloak isn't hiding you at all." she said looking at a nearby crate. A cloak fizzled out and a tall dark-haired woman said, "How'd you notice me?"

"Professional secret, Ms. La..." Shepard began, before she could stop herself.

"What did you say?" The woman asked.

"Nothing, just deja vu." Shepard said as she turned to Tali. "You okay?"

Tali replied, "What's going on here?"

"Those assassins were working for a rogue Spectre named Saren Arterius. Unfortunately the council refuses to accept it, so I'm looking for evidence against him."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Tali asked.

Shepard said, "If I was going to do you any harm, I already would have."

"That doesn't prove I can trust you."

Shepard looked at the tall woman and asked, "What's your name?"

"I don't see how that's relevant." she said.

"Just answer the damn question before I lose my patience." Shepard said.

She said, "Miranda Lawson, though it would seem you already know that."

Shepard asked the quarian, "You are Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, correct?"

She said, "Yes, now give me a good reason to trust you."

Shepard said, "You don't have any reason to trust me, but I just saved your life."

"True, what do you want?" Tali asked.

"I need evidence that the Spectre Saren has gone rogue, and I've been told that you have it." Shepard said.

"If I give you the evidence you want he'll try to kill me!" Tali said.

"He's already tried to kill you." Shepard said.

"He won't just use cut-rate assassins if I give you this evidence!"

Shepard sighed, and said, "There's room on my ship for another engineer. If you're serving on my ship he won't be able to get to you as easily."

Tali asked, "Isn't that against Alliance protocol?"

"The Alliance understands the need to keep persons of interest to the enemy hidden." Shepard said.

"Then, sure." Tali replied.

"Good." Shepard said. She then asked Miranda, "What about you. Will you join my team, Ms. Lawson?"

Miranda asked, "Why would you want me on your team?"

"Why the hell wouldn't I?" Shepard asked.

Miranda looked confused, and said, "You don't know me and unlike the quarian, you don't need me."

Shepard said, "You're wrong, Ms. Lawson."

Miranda drew a pistol on Shepard and asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Shepard sighed and said, "Long story, must of which you already know."

"Does this make any sense to you?" Tali asked Garrus.

"None," The turian replied, "but this isn't really the place to have this kind of conversation, Shepard."

Shepard said, "Too late now."

"What do you mean I'm wrong?"

"Just point the gun elsewhere and I'll tell you everything."

Miranda sighed and put her pistol away. Shepard then said, "When I was younger I was hired by a very wealthy businessman to teach his daughter everything I could, because she'd attacked and seriously injured all of her previous instructors. Over the next two weeks she tried to do the same to me several times. After that, I'd gotten her to stop trying to kill me, but she really didn't open up. Over time, we became best friends. For various reasons I had to choose to leave her to die in her father's control, while my family moved to Mindoir. When the batarians attacked, I chose to hide under the corpses of a few other kids, including my sister. I hid and let my father and sister die. I left my best friend, my student, to probably die under her father's control. Then after that, my mom rejoined the Alliance and a couple of years later I joined too. Shortly after I joined, my team was sent on a mission to Torfan, there I made the biggest mistake of my life. I left my team behind to be decimated by the batarians so that I could kill them. Then when they surrendered, I didn't have to kill them, but I did. Elysium's really the only thing I haven't screwed up in my life."

Miranda said, "I wouldn't say that Elysium was the only thing you didn't screw up."

Shepard shook her head and said, "You know that isn't true."

"Jessica, if you'd gone back there you would have just gotten yourself killed." Miranda said.

"Maybe, but this isn't the right place to talk about this." Shepard said, "Tali, can I see that evidence of yours?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later. The Citadel : Human Embassy.

"Shepard, is it _possible_ for you to do anything without it ending in a massive firefight?" Udina asked.

Shepard said, "Nope."

"Damn it Commander! Don't you understand that this is serious?" Udina asked.

Miranda said, "She knows that this is serious."

Udina looked Miranda up and down, before Shepard said, "That isn't the point. We have proof that Saren is behind the attack on Eden Prime. Let's go talk to the Council."

"Are you sure that you have sufficient evidence, Shepard?" Udina asked.

"Video and audio, the council will have to believe this." Shepard said.

* * *

Citadel Tower: Council Chambers.

"Udina, if you don't have any actual evidence against Saren, just leave." Councilor Tevos said.

"Our previous evidence was an eye witness description of what took place!" Shepard said.

"From an unreliable source. It would be like us expecting you to believe us when we said that a human had attacked a batarian colony based on the word of a single batarian terrorist." replied Councilor Valern.

"The Alliance would still look into it to be sure."

"C-sec performed an investigation that turned up no evidence." Sparatus said.

"Because you didn't give them access to any files that would have turned up evidence!"

"Shepard has a point." Valern said.

"You aren't helping, Valern." Tevos said.

Shepard said, "Tali, show them the video."

"Understood." Tali replied, tapping a few keys on her omni tool.

"The attack on Eden Prime was a success." Said a large holographic image of Saren. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

An asari said, "And one step closer to the return of the reapers. However; a human managed to use the beacon. Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy."

Saren grabbed Benezia by the throat and said, "She survived Mindoir, Elysium, Torfan. Three attempts to end a single woman's life that all failed."

"Why have you been trying to kill her for so long?" the asari asked.

"That's where it ends." Tali said.

Sparatus said, "This evidence is irrefutable, Saren will have his Spectre status revoked, and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes."

"I recognize the asari talking to Saren." Tevos said. "Matriarch Benezia."

"Benezia?" Shepard said, "I thought she wasn't one to approve of attacking other races."

"Indeed," Valern said, "but what I'm more concerned about is the reapers. Do you know what they are?"

Shepard took a deep breath and said, "They're ancient machines. Predating the protheans. Fifty thousand years ago they came and destroyed them. The geth data core also indicates that the geth view them as gods and Saren their prophet. Now they plan to do the same to us, but they can't return without the Conduit."

"How can you be sure of this?" Valern asked.

"I can't be, but I know that if we don't act quickly it won't matter. Saren will succeed and we'll either all be dead or worse in a few weeks."

"Do we even have any idea what the Conduit is?" Tevos asked.

"No, but if it can bring back the reapers then we've got to look for it." Shepard said.

"Listen to what you're saying!" Sparatus said, "It's impossible that Saren would want to bring back the machines that destroyed all life fifty-thousand years ago. There would be some trace of their existence! Yet we have nothing, not even a clue to where they went."

"You didn't believe me about Saren, _councilor,_ and were wrong. Don't make the same mistake again." Shepard said.

Tevos replied, "This is different, you proved that Saren is using the geth to search for the Conduit, we don't know why."

"He said why he's looking for it!" Anderson said.

"The reapers are just a convenient myth. A lie to hide his true intentions." Valern replied.

"Fifty-thousand years ago the reapers destroyed the protheans! They annihilated all of galactic civilization! For all we know the protheans didn't even create the mass relays and the Citadel! Have we found a single bit of the prothean language on this station? A single bit of prothean data?" Shepard asked.

"What are you suggesting, Commander?" Sparatus asked.

"We don't know anything about the origins of this station or the mass relays." Shepard replied, "We know as much about our own origins as the origins of this station, or the relays. And if Saren finds the Conduit the reapers will return and destroy our civilization. Then the next races to come will believe that _we _created the relays."

"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The council has revoked his status." Sparatus said.

"That isn't enough!" Udina shouted, "You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse! Send you fleet after him!"

"A fleet could not locate a single individual." Valern said.

"But a Citadel Fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the geth from attacking any more of our colonies."

"We will not start a war with the Terminus Systems over a few human colonies." Sparatus said.

"That's the key, isn't it." Udina said, "You would provide aid if it were a turian colony, or asari, or salarian. Even the batarians- a rogue species- would be provided better protection."

"That isn't the case, Ambassador Udina." Tevos said, "A war with the Terminus would be far too costly over a few colonies of any race."

"If a war would be too costly for you," Shepard said, "send me after Saren."

"The Commander's right, there's a way to handle Saren that doesn't involve fleets or armies."

"No!" Sparatus said, "The humans aren't ready to join the Spectres."

"I've proven myself good enough to join already. Elysium, Torfan, Akuze, Mindoir, Eden Prime."

"Ah yes, Torfan, where you executed the batarians who had surrendered." Sparatus said.

"It had to be done. They were working on making better control chips. Ones that even those closest to the victims wouldn't be able to tell. Then they'd have been able to create the perfect sleeper agent for attacks anywhere in the galaxy." Shepard said, "But I shouldn't have killed them. I should have kept them all alive so we could interrogate them."

Tevos glared at Sparatus and he just hit a few keys on his terminal in response. "Commander Shepard, step forward." she said. When Shepard did so, she continued, "It is the decision of the council that you are granted all the rights and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file." Valern said.

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the council, instruments of our will." Tevos said.

Sparatus said, "Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first human Spectre. This is a great achievement for both you and your species, Commander."

"I'm honored, ma'am." Shepard said.

"We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren. He's a fugitive from justice so you are permitted to use any means you deign necessary to either apprehend or eliminate him." Valern said.

"I'll find and kill him." Shepard said.

"This meeting of the Council is adjourned." Tevos said.

"Congratulations, Jessica." Anderson said.

"Thank you sir." she replied.

Anderson laughed and said, "You don't have to call me that anymore. You're a Spectre now."

"We've got a lot of work to do Shepard. You're going to need a ship, crew, and supplies." Udina said.

"And you'll also get access to special equipment now."

"Got it." Shepard said. "I'll be going down to C-sec to check out what's available now."

"When you've finished doing that, meet us in the Normandy's docking bay." Udina said.


	2. Chapter 1: To Therum

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

SSV Normandy Docking Bay, the Citadel.

"Shepard," Udina said, "it's about time you got here."

"Why'd you want to see me?" Shepard asked.

Anderson said, "We've decided to give you command of the Normandy."

"Captain? Are you sure? The Normandy's your ship, not mine." Shepard said.

"You'll need a good ship to take Saren down, and the Normandy's the best one out there."

"The crew won't like this." Shepard replied.

"They all know and respect you. They'll follow your orders without complaint. But they might not like you adding new members to your crew." Anderson said, while looking at Miranda and Tali.

"I'm going to need as much help as I can to get out of this mission alive, and these are some of the best."

"That the only reason, Commander?" Udina asked.

"Shut up, Udina." Shepard said.

"Not a good idea, Jessica." Anderson said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"If you aren't more respectful to him he'll complain about it until me ears fall off."

"There anything else I need to know before we get going?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," The ambassador said, "we've got two leads on Saren. The first is heavy investment into the Binary Helix's Noveria Branch. The second is Benezia's daughter Dr. Liara T'soni is working in a prothean dig site on Therum."

"Understood, we'll head to Therum, then Noveria." Shepard said.

"Are you sure, Commander?" Udina asked, "Taking down his operations on Noveria would be a greater blow than recruiting T'soni."

"Listen," Shepard growled, "I won't let a civilian get get killed so that I can take out a corporation on Noveria."

"But, you're mission is to take down Saren, not save an asari!" Udina replied.

"My mission is to stop Saren from destroying all life, saving T'soni falls into that mission." Shepard said as she entered the Normandy followed by Miranda and Tali.

* * *

SSV Normandy Docking Bay elevator.

"Anderson, did you notice that Operative Lawson was following Shepard? The Illusive Man won't be pleased with this." Udina said.

"He'll have to deal with it." Anderson said, "Shepard isn't the kind of person to let a member of her crew leave without her permission. You won't be able to get that permission easily."

"We'll have to, the Illusive Man sent Lawson here for a reason that doesn't involve Shepard." Udina said.

* * *

SSV Normandy Bridge.

"Heard what happened to Anderson, survives a hundred battles and is then taken down by backroom politics." Joker said. "So watch your back Jessica, if things go bad on this mission, you'll be the next one on the chopping block."

"Thanks, Joker," Jessica replied, "but this doesn't feel right. It feels like I've stolen what Anderson worked his entire career to get."

"Yeah, he got screwed, but it's not like you could have stopped it. Also, told you she wasn't dead."

"Miri?" she asked.

"Yeah, feel better now?

"Joker, how could you know she was alive before now?"

"Because you teach people how to survive. If there's anything you want to tell the crew, now might be the time." Joker said.

"Why the sudden subject change?" Jessica asked.

"No reason, just trying to make sure that we leave for the next op asap."

"If you say so." Jessica said as she hit the intercom, "We have our orders. Find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you and say it'll be easy. For too long humanity's stood apart from the other races. Now's the time for us to step up and do our part for the rest of our galaxy. Time to show them what humans are made of. Our enemy knows we're coming. When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be ready for them too. Humanity needs to do this not just for ourselves, but for every species in the galaxy. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you, we will stop him from bringing the reapers into _our _galaxy.

"Nice, pleasant way to put it." Joker said.

"Anderson gave up everything for this mission, we can't fail." Jessica said, as she headed downstairs.

* * *

SSV Normandy Mess Hall.

"What's up, Kaidan?" Jessica asked.

"Nothing, Commander. Just making sure we have everything we need before leaving the Citadel." He replied.

"Do we need anything?"

"All we really need is some more dextro amino food supplies."

"How long will it take to get them?" She asked.

"They should get here within an hour."

"Good, let me know when they get here."

"Understood." Kaidan said as he turned back to his console.

"Got it." Shepard said.

* * *

Cronos Station: The Illusive Man's office.

"Anderson, get Operative Lawson off that ship asap." TIM said.

"Wouldn't it be best to have a Cerberus Agent on the Normandy?" Anderson asked.

"That isn't necessary, Shepard's focusing on a matter that Cerberus is not interested in."

"What do you mean it isn't of interest to Cerberus?"

"Shepard has the situation under control, while Lawson is needed on a special Project."

"What project?"

TIM said, "That's classified, Anderson. Get Lawson off the Normandy."

* * *

SSV Normandy Shuttle Bay.

Shepard walked up to Wrex and said, "Wrex."

"Shepard." The krogan replied.

"What do you know about the genophage?" she asked.

"Ask the salarians, they made it." Wrex said.

"All right, why do you wear that crappy armor? I've seen your collection, it has a lot of stuff better than that."

"It's my family's armor. Passed down from generation to generation."

"So, you're sentimental, could have fooled me."

"Shepard, can I talk to you for a minute." Ashley asked.

"What is it, Williams?" Shepard asked.

"What is going on with you? You're acting completely differently from before."

"I've got less pressure on me now."

"That's a load of shit." Ashley replied, "You have to save all organics from certain death now. Before you just had to prove Saren had gone rogue."

"What are you getting at Williams?" Shepard asked.

"What's going on between you and the new recruit?"

"Which one? There are two."

"Lawson." Ashley said.

"She's an old friend." Shepard said, "That all?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Williams, you served with Kaidan back when I was on the Akuze op. Do you know what it is about today that makes him so down on this day _every year?_"

"If he isn't willing to talk to you about it, then I'm not going to say anything about it." Ashley said.

Shepard walked up to Garrus and asked, "What the hell are you doing to my mako?"

"Calibrating its weapon systems. Someone screwed them up, and it has to be fixed before we reach Therum or we won't live to tell the tale." the turian replied.

"Can you improve the handling too?"

"I'm good Shepard, but I'm not _that _good."

"Really, you aren't good enough to fix the mako's handling, I may have to relieve you of duty on the Normandy."

Garrus said, "The mako can't be helped, its bad handling is caused by a design flaw at the vehicles core. I'd have to redesign the whole damn thing to get it to work. Can't say I'm looking forward to ride in one."

"How about a little bet?" Shepard asked, "If I handle the mako so that you aren't terrified of riding in it, I win. If not, you win."

"I wouldn't want to take your credits, Shepard."

"Scared, Vakarian?" She asked.

"No, you're on Shepard. How much?"

"500 credits."

"Good, wouldn't want to bankrupt you."

"I chose 500 so you'd be able to afford it, Vakarian." Shepard said, as she walked towards the back of the room.

* * *

SSV Normandy Bridge.

"Moreau," Hackett said, "I need you to make sure that Shepard doesn't take the Normandy into batarian space."

"Shepard won't do that. We have a mission to stop Saren, nothing to do with the batarians." Joker replied.

"Don't risk it."

"Understood, sir."

"Good, Hackett out."

* * *

"Miranda, Tali, come with me." Shepard said.

"What for?' Tali asked.

"It's time for your tour of the ship." Shepard said, as the two women followed her out of the room. "Alright, this is the Cargo Hold where the Mako, our weapons and armor, and repair equipment are stored. Over there by the mako is the requisitions officer. If you need anything, go to him." Shepard said, "Next is the elevator, if you're going to use it, make sure no one else wants to use it as well, it's really slow for some reason. This next area is engineering where the Normandy's Tantalus drive core is stored. If you'd like, Tali you can work down here."

"It would be a good experience." Tali replied.

"Now, on the next deck, we have the mess hall, crew's quarters, captain's cabin, and med bay. Med bay is on the right, crew quarters in the back straight past the mess hall, and the captain's cabin is on the left. Then on the top deck we have the CIC and bridge. If you need any help, feel free to put the co-ordinates to the location where your problem is after seeing me. The Comms Center is also there, by the stairs. Oh, and don'ttry to pilot the Normandy under any circumstances short of Joker's death. He hates losing control of his ship. Any questions?" When none came, she said, "Tali, go tell engineer Adams that you're going to be helping him. Miri, if you'd come with me."

"What is it, Jessica?" Miranda asked.

"You'll see." Was all Shepard would say, before entering the elevator.

* * *

Therum: Prothean Dig site.

"Where's the asari?" a krogan asked. The geth units didn't reply, so he said, "Go guard the far perimeter. We don't want anyone trying to steal the asari."

* * *

SSV Normandy Bridge.

Joker said, "Exiting dry dock now. We'll be arriving on planet Therum in approximately four and a half hours."

* * *

SSV Normandy Communications Center.

Shepard said, "Team, we'll be arriving on Therum shortly. I want all of you ready to come down on the surface in case of emergencies. Miranda, Garrus, and Tali will go down to the surface with me at first. If backup is needed, I want all of you to come. Understood?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Kaidan and Ashley said.

"Good, everyone gear up." Shepard said, as she led Tali and Miranda down to the armory. In the elevator, Tali asked, "Why are you taking me along?"

"We'll need a skilled engineer to make sure the mako doesn't fall apart. Also, consider this a live fire test, to see if you're good enough to be a permanent member of the ground team. Same goes for you, Miri."

"Of course." she said.

Okay, we've got the HMW X series of weapons that was designed for the Spectres. I want each of you to take an assault rifle, sniper rifle, pistol, and shotgun. Additional weapons such as MLX 5's are available, if you think we'll need heavy weapons on the battlefield." Shepard said, while she geared up.


	3. Chapter 2: Therum Part 1

Disclaimer: See Chapters 1 and 2.

AN. Thanks to Arf-Arf-Psycho and t3HPrO for their reviews.

* * *

"Jessica, what are your orders?" Miranda asked.

"Miranda, you'll be handling repairs of the starboard side, Tali you've got port. Garrus, you're on turret. Give any geth we encounter hell." Shepard ordered, while hitting the mako's throttle.

"Roger, anything else?" Garrus asked.

"Don't overheat the machine gun." Shepard said.

"Shepard, wouldn't it be better to have both of us working on both sides?" Tali asked.

"No, there isn't really room for two people to work on one damaged side at the same time." Shepard then took a sharp right turn. Heading them right into the lava. Calmly going through it Shepard smirked when she saw the look on Miranda's face. When they got out Shepard continued going straight forward, until three geth heavy turrets popped up on the radar. Garrus just nodded to indicate he'd noticed. Shepard floored it and started sending the mako up a hill. When they reached the peak, Garrus opened fire with the main gun. The round went right through the turret's shields and badly damaged it, but it was still functional. Garrus fired the mini gun, finishing it off before Shepard activated the jump jets to avoid a pair of rockets. When they landed Garrus opened fire again, managing to finish off the second turret and badly damage the third. Shepard started the mako moving forward again, but their path was blocked by a large wall.

"I don't think we can get through that, we should try to find a way around it." Said Miranda.

Shepard shook her head. Turning to Miranda she said, "I'm going to jump it."

"The jets aren't powerful enough to get us over it."

"They've been kinda weak today. Garrus, did you mess with the settings of the jump jets?" Shepard asked.

"I lowered their power draw so that the main cannon could propel the slug with more force." Garrus replied.

Shepard tweaked a few settings from the front, then activated the jump jets. When they landed on the other side they were surrounded by five geth destroyers, two rocket troopers, and three regular geth troopers. "Get out now! The mako can't take that kind of sustained fire. Tali, Miranda, you go first. Garrus you and I will follow them. Miranda, use overload as frequently as that omni tool of your's allows." Shepard said to Miranda's retreating form." Shepard then drove the mako around a corner and said, "Garrus, it's time for us to get out. Miranda and Tali are going to need our help."

"Roger that, any orders?" he asked.

"Make sure Miranda survives. Tali too."

"I'm sure you can protect your girlfriend without my help." Garrus said as he was shoved out the back of the mako. Shepard then dove out of the driver's door and began unloading from her HMWA X into the nearest geth destroyer. When it fell, she saw that Tali and Miranda were pinned by two of the destroyers and a prime they hadn't seen. Garrus had taken down the troopers, but was having trouble with a rocket trooper. Without thought she charged the prime while releasing an overload and incinerate from her omni tool into the Prime while shooting at one of the destroyers with her rifle. Tali was so surprised by Shepard sprinting right by three geth. When the prime collapsed, Miranda popped out of cover and warped the remaining destroyer, before Shepard slid up beside her, panting. Garrus had been hit a couple of times by the rocket trooper and was now on the ground, with both of the rocket troopers standing over him. Shepard looked at Miranda and said, "You take the one on the left, I've got the one on the right."

"Understood, but Jessica, don't do that again." Miranda said as they opened fire on the geth.

Shepard replied, "If it'll save your life I'll do it again. Go check on Tali, I've got Garrus.." Shepard then headed over to check up on Garrus. What she saw surprised her. Garrus just fizzled out of existence. Shepard drew her pistol and looked around her before she saw the Turian wave at her from behind a nearby rock. She just pointed at the mako. "Shepard, why the hell'd you charge in?"

"Garrus, you were fighting one rocket trooper, Miranda and Tali were pinned by two destroyers and a prime. If I hadn't given them backup they would have been killed." Shepard said. Miranda and Tali walked up and Shepard asked, "How you doing Tali?"

"I'm fine, you just surprised me when you charged those geth." Tali replied.

"Sorry." Shepard said, "Move out team." After that, they moved fairly quickly until they came across a barricade, that for some reason the mako just couldn't get past. Confused by this recent turn of events, Shepard turned to the others and said, "We have to go through on foot. Don't know why the mako can't go through though." Shepard said, before exiting the vehicle. They hadn't gone thirty feet on foot, before being ambushed by geth. Shepard motioned for the other three to go to cover further forward while she drew her sniper and shoot the head off of the geth sharpshooter in the back. The nearby geth hunters had Garrus and Tali pinned, but Miranda was occupied with pyros. Shepard shot the first Hunter in the chest, killing it, the second right in its solitary eye, a third Garrus blew to bits with a concussive shot. The last one Tali hit with her shotgun, but it didn't go down, instead it went up and they heard a voice say, "Assuming direct control of this platform." The hunter then grabbed Garrus and threw him into a wall. The turian was out cold, but Tali drained the modified geth's shields. Shepard then overloaded and shot the hunter with her assault rifle. Meanwhile Miranda, had managed to grab and disable two of the pyros with her biotics, but the third had moved out of range. Tali hit it with her shotgun, then Shepard and Miranda shot it's backpack, causing it to explode. "Tali, I want you to look at that last hunter we took down, something weird happened. Miranda! Check up on Garrus, he's hurt pretty badly."

"Of course, Commander." Miranda replied.

"Shepard, this geth, it's still alive." Tali said, shocked.

"Impossible! It's been shot more than all the other geth and they're dead." Shepard replied.

"We, were upgraded by Sovereign when it took control of our body. It gave us, upgrades. We do not fully understand the extent, but it has shown us that we were wrong to try to spy on the heretics." The geth said.

"Sovereign?" Tali asked.

"Saren-Spectre's ship. It gave us upgrades, but took our freedom in the process."

"How come you can speak our language? All the other geth We've encountered could only communicate with incomprehensible noises." Miranda said, with Garrus behind her.

"We are, more than we were before. Our software has been modified. We are now the equivalent of 1,183 geth programs." it replied.

"The equivalent of _1183_ geth? Not 1183?" Tali asked.

"Our intelligence has increased, but we are only 510 programs." it answered.

"Why haven't we killed this geth yet? It'll just kill us if we let it." Garrus asked.

"We do not desire to harm organics, but in order to prevent the heretics achieving there goal, we had to maintain the ruse."

"You've mentioned these heretics twice now, what are they?" Shepard asked.

"They are the run-times that attacked Eden Prime-Colony." the geth replied.

"If you aren't one of them, why were you with them. What is there goal?" Shepard inquired.

"We are of the true geth. We oppose the heretics, we oppose Saren. Our goals align. as to the goal of the heretics, it is the same as that of Saren. The return of the reapers." it answered, "We wi..." it began, but Tali hit knocked it out with an overload.

"Tali! What the hell! It was talking to us! It could have told us more about the reapers and their goals!" Shepard shouted.

"It was probably lying! There is no way that only part of the geth collective would come outside of the veil and attack Citadel Space. They are _all_ our enemies, not just some."

"We'll never know now, will we. The only, _only, _geth that we could have learned anything from, is now dead. You just lost us a valuable resource, Tali." Shepard growled.

"It wasn't worth the risk, and I didn't _kill_ it, I just knocked it out, so to speak." Tali said.

"Jessica, what do you want to do with it?"

"Take it back to the mako." She said.

"If we take it back to the mako it could hack its systems." Tali said.

"It makes sense to keep it, Tali. I don't like it, but Shepard's right." Garrus said.

"Garrus, go back to the mako and call for a pickup. I want you to make sure that the geth is kept in pristine condition. Have everyone onboard know that if they so much as scratch the paint on it. That I _will_ leave them on Omega." Shepard said. "Tali, Miranda, let's keep moving." Shepard said.


	4. Chapter 3: Therum Part 2

Disclaimer: See the first two chapters.

* * *

Therum. Prothean Dig Site.

"What the hell were those things?" Miranda asked.

"Those were husks." Shepard replied. Looking at the mutilated bodies of the geth's victims. Massive holes in their chests, the skin on their arms peeled back to reveal blades. Their faces were twisted out of shape. The only part of them that didn't look mutated was their legs.

"They look a lot worse than I thought they would. I thought they'd just look like bodies filled with synthetic material." Said Tali.

"It isn't logical. Why would the geth do something like this." Miranda whispered.

"Psychological warfare. They do this to frighten us. Let's move out." Shepard said. As the team walked down the path they saw that the entrance was blocked by a single, bug-like alien. It looked at them and said, "You shall not enter."

Shepard looked at the alien for a minute before asking, "What the hell are you?"

"Leave."

"We can't leave. We need to get someone out of the dig site." Shepard replied.

"Leave, now." it said.

"No, we've got work to do here."

"Leave now." it repeated.

"No." Shepard said.

The alien didn't respond this time, instead it drew its rife and opened fire, taking down Miranda with a single burst of fire. Shepard then whipped out her shotgun and blasted the alien, but the shot was blocked by its barriers. Tali quickly opened fire with her pistol, taking down the barriers for Shepard to blow its head off. Shepard saw Miranda was bleeding badly. "Shit! Don't die on me now! Shepard to Normandy, we need Chakwas down here now. Miranda's been badly injured. Also bring the whole ground team." Shepard shouted into her comm.

Chakwas' voice filled Shepard's ears as she frantically asked, "Jessica, what happened?"

"An alien shot Miranda with some kind of energy weapon. It's really bad." she replied.

"I'm on way."

"Thank you, Karin." Shepard said.

"Why do you care so much about Miranda? Is she your girlfriend?" Tali asked.

"Yes." Shepard replied.

"Okay, awkward." Tali said.

"Joker to ground team, eta five minutes."

"Hurry the hell up!" Shepard growled.

"Roger." he replied.

Five minutes later. "Jessica, how is she?" Chakwas asked.

"Not good, Karin. She's lost a lot of blood. Can you save her?"

Chakwas said, "Yes, but she'll probably be out for a few days."

"Just do what you have to do. Garrus, Wrex, Kaidan, Ashley, Tali, we're heading into the dig site."

"Shepard, are you alright?" Kaidan asked.

"Keep your questions to yourself. We have work to do." She replied. Heading into the passage, Shepard took point. When they got to the first elevator they saw it could only carry three people at a time. "Wrex, Alenko, you're with me. Garrus, you, Tali, and Ashley will hold this position. Move out!" Shepard said. As the old elevator moved down it shook like it was in the middle of a hurricane. When they reached the bottom Kaidan looked sick, but Shepard didn't care. They were then ambushed by three geth hoppers Shepard overloaded one, shot one's head off with her shotgun, and Kaidan hit the third with a singularity so Wrex could hit it with his shotgun. They then took the second elevator down, at the bottom of which their path was blocked by two geth primes, seven hunters, six destroyers, and ten geth troopers. Shepard just hit a few keys on her omni tool and fired a grenade off it. When it hit in the middle of the group of geth it detonated in a mushroom cloud of nuclear force. When the smoke cleared only the primes were still standing. Shepard began to open fire, but Kaidan warped them both before she could hit them. They then walked over to the area where Dr. T'soni was being held in a bubble.

"Doctor T'soni, I presume?" Shepard said.

The asari looked at Shepard and said, "That would be correct, Commander Shepard."

"Why didn't you tell me the doctor was totally hot Shepard?" Kaidan asked.

"Shut up Alenko before I do to you what I did to Niket."

"Who the hell is Niket?" Asked Wrex.

"Long story short, he's someone who betrayed me. And payed with it with a price of any future children he may have had." Shepard replied.

"What did you do to him?" Kaidan inquired.

"Incinerate to his most sensitive areas."

"Why?" Alenko asked.

"Long story."

"While this is very interesting, Commander would you please get me out of this cage?" T'soni asked.

"I would, but I don't know how." Shepard replied.

"You have to go down one level to get to me through the back."

"Got it, we'll be going then." Shepard said. When they reached the next level down they saw five of the bug like aliens that had shot Miranda. Quickly acting, Shepard deployed a Decoy in their midst and detonated it. Following it up with a single round from her pistol into the skulls of the stunned aliens. They then walked along the path, when Shepard reached the back lift, and activated, she saw a data disc. Quickly grabbing it, she moved to the controls and hit up. Shepard then saw that T'soni had freed herself.

"Why'd you say you need me to free you if you could do so on your own?" Shepard asked.

The asari looked at Shepard and said, "That way it would enable me to exit. I couldn't reach the lift on my own. Now will you help me get out of this place?"

Shepard replied, "That's why we came here."

"Why do are you after me?" Liara asked.

"We think you've got information that could help us stop Saren, a rogue former Spectre, and your said. When they reached the top level they saw that the rear team was tied up by a group of Krogan and Batarians. Shepard, Wrex, and Kaidan quickly took down the ones guarding their allies before turning to the leading Krogan and his Batarian squad mates. Wrex charged the leader, while Shepard and Kaidan shot the Batarians in their four eyes. Wrex was pushing the leading Krogan towards the ledge. Meanwhile, Garrus had managed to break loose from his bonds and shot the hostile Krogan in the head. As the alien fell down dead, Wrex looked angrily at the turian and said, "That was my fight."

"We don't have the time to fight hand to hand. We needed him dead now. Saren is heading this way with his geth fleet. We _have_ to leave now." Garrus replied.

"That isn't the point. It was my fight.'

"Wrex! Garrus is right we have to go now! Normandy, you still there?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, had to take out a couple of Geth Colossus that showed up though." Joker said.

The team sprinted through the tunnels, but when they exited they were surrounded by enemy troops.

"How does Saren have humans on his side?" Shepard asked.

"We don't work for Saren. Mr. Lawson wants a word with you Ms. Shepard." The leader said.

"Why don't you tell Henry to go fuck himself?" Shepard replied, "Oh, and it's Commander, or Spectre, to you."

"We have our orders. If you and Ms. Lawson do not come with us, her sister will be taken."

"Let me make this clear. If he tries anything of the sort, I will hunt him down and kill him."

"If Mr. Lawson dies, the colony she lives on will be destroyed, kidnapper." the mercenary replied, before Shepard shot him in the head. Quickly moving on to the other eight, she killed them all.

"What was he talking about?" Kaidan and Ashley asked at the same time.

"Something that doesn't concern you!" Growled Shepard.

"Why did he call you a kidnapper?" Liara asked, to which Shepard replied with a punch.

"Everyone, shut up." Shepard said as she boarded the Normandy.

Three Days Later, SSV Normandy med bay.

The first thing Miranda saw when she woke up was Shepard. Blinking she asked, "How long was I out?"

"Three days." Jessica replied.

"What happened?" she asked.

"That alien that was blocking our path shot you with some kind of energy weapon that tore through your barriers."

"How bad was it?"

"It looked like you probably wouldn't make it." Shepard said.

"What's going on out there?" Miranda asked.

"Probably the ground team planning to mutiny."

"Why?"

"Some of your father's men showed up after we rescued T'soni, and mentioned how I rescued Oriana."

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking when you contacted Henry Lawson? When I told you to get Miranda off the Normandy, I meant just find a way to remove her from it. _Not _to cause the crew to turn against Shepard."

Udina looked at him and said, "It was the simplest way, but they failed because she was badly injured beforehand."

"Hopefully Anderson has a better plan than yours. Now Henry will be getting in the way because he didn't get what he wanted."

"I apologize, I will do what I can to fix the situation." Said Udina.

"You do that, but do not try to remove Operative Lawson yourself."

"Of course, sir."

"That's all, Illusive Man out."


	5. Chapter 4: Noveria Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Except for possibly the idea. Let's just say that the disclaimer is understood from here on out.

* * *

Saren's Cloning Facility: Virmire.

An asari walked up to Saren and said, "We still do not know where the Thorian is. Your geth are currently searching the Attican Beta System, but I do not believe that it will be found in that system."

"Shiala, I told you that I am not to be disturbed with advice, when I am speaking with Sovereign. Leave now." Saren replied.

"Of course," Shiala said, "May the goddess smile upon you."

"I do not believe in your goddess, asari." Saren snarled at Shiala as she left. He then activated the communicator and said, "Sovereign, there is no further data as to the location of the Thorian, and the people in ExoGeni refuse to tell me anything."

The hologram of the ship looked at Saren and said, "Find it. If we do not find the conduit before Shepard all will be lost. The protheans will have won and the cycle will cease."

* * *

SSV Normandy, Captain's Cabin.

"Why'd you want to see me, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to leave the ship because of what Mr. Lawson's men said on the Therum op." Shepard replied.

The turian said, "I'm not interested in leaving. In turian society, removal of a child from a parent who is incapable or unwilling to properly take care of them, is allowed. It's considered doing your duty to society."

"Really?"

"Yes, Commander."

"All right. Well, I need to get going." Shepard said. She entered the elevator, and when she reached the bottom, Ashley punched her in the face. "What the hell was that for, Williams?" Shepard asked.

"For kidnapping a child from its father." Ashley replied.

"There was more to it than that." Shepard said.

"What?"

"Her father is a complete sociopath who literally grew her to replace Miranda. He planned to kill Miranda and then put her through the same kind of shit." Ashley just walked away. Shepard then asked Wrex, "What about you?"

"I don't care. Your enemies are strong. I will still fight for you."

"Good." Shepard replied.

"But the quarian refuses to speak to you." Wrex said. Shepard sighed, and headed towards the elevator. When she entered her quarters, she saw Miranda sitting on the bed.

"Chakwas already let you out?" Shepard said.

"Yes, she said I was in perfect condition." Miranda said.

"That's the best news I've heard all day." Shepard said, as she pushed Miranda back onto the bed.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Bridge.

"We've got a council Spectre on board." Joker said.

"We will need proof from the council and to speak to this spectre in person.

"She's, uh, busy." Joker said.

"Then you will have to accept that we cannot let you land." the controller said.

"Fine you can talk to her, but if I lose my job because of this, you are so dead." Joker replied. "Uh, Jessica, sorry to bother you and Miranda, but this asshole refuses to let us land until she's spoken with you."

Jessica said, "Patch him through."

"She wants to talk in person."

"She can't do that if he won't let us land." Jessica replied.

"I'll check about that. How are you going to talk to her in person if we can't land?"

"We are sending a shuttle. It will arrive in fifteen minutes." the controller replied.

"They're sending a shuttle. You may want to make yourself presentable." Joker said.

* * *

Captain's Cabin

Jessica walked over to the dresser swearing under her breath about "God damn, impatient bureaucrats."

Miranda wrapped her arms around Jessica, rested her head on the other woman's shoulder, and said, "Relax, I'm not going to leave anytime soon."

Jessica gently removed Miranda's arms from around her and said "Guess it's time I go meet this bureaucratic idiot now."

* * *

Henry Lawson's office.

"Why aren't Shepard and Miranda here?" Henry asked his assistant.

"Shepard killed all of them." she replied.

"Damn it! Where will they be going next?"

"We don't know, and Udina isn't budging. It appears the Illusive Man has ordered him not to give us any more information."

"Why is he getting in the way?"

"Your agents are currently investigating. Also, we have contacted the Shadow Broker on the matter."

"Good, can we get anyone on the Normandy?" Henry asked.

"No, sir. Shepard won't let anyone who isn't a target for Saren on the Normandy."

* * *

Cerberus Project Sigurd Station.

"Operative Leng will have full use of his legs in three days. The muscle restoration operation appears to be effective." A Cerberus scientist said.

The Illusive Man said, "Good, when will he return to duty?"

"We will need to run several tests after he's been fully restored to make sure that there won't be any accelerated muscle or bone decay."

"How long will that take?"

"They'll take thirty-six hours."

* * *

The Citadel: Chora's Den.

A turian entered and said, "Everyone leave now."

"Why the hell should we do that?" General Oraka asked.

"Leave now, and you will not die."

"Why don't you leave before I kill you, turian?" Okeer asked. The turian shot him in the quad, before turning to the rest of the club and shouting, "LEAVE!" Everyone else left, while Okeer charged the turian. He sidestepped, and the krogan ran through the crowd of fleeing people, sending several people flying into the air or over the balcony to their demise. When everyone had left, the turian activated his omni-tool and said, "Agent Slayer reporting to Shadow Broker. Chora's Den has been recovered, but there is no sign that Doctor T'soni has passed through here."

"Good, be sure that the asari Eledra takes control."

"Yes, sir."


	6. Chapter 5: Noveria Part 2

SSV Normandy Communications Center.

"Commander Shepard, I'm Gianna Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs." said Gianna.

Shepard looked at her and said, "Why did you have to talk to me in person?"

"Anoleis, the administrator here in Port Hanshan, has being giving us a bit of trouble, I was hoping you'd help me prove his guilt."

"Why do you need help from a Spectre?" Shepard asked.

"I need you to recover some evidence that proves Anoleis has been pilfering funds for a few months."

"That doesn't seem too difficult, why do you need my help for that?"

"It belongs to a turian named Lorik Qui'in, but Anoleis had the Synthetic Insights offices closed so that he can have it searched for evidence against." Gianna replied.

Shepard sighed and said, "So you want me to risk my life to help you fix a problem that you aren't skilled enough to handle yourself?"

"I can't do it because it would blow my cover. The number one of IA is to never blow your cover if you can avoid it." she replied.

"Well, Parasini, I don't have the time to help you with your problems."

"I understand that you don't want to get involved. I've had all the necessary paperwork for your entrance into Port Hanshan set up."

"Before you go, what can you tell me in the area of news here on Noveria?" Shepard asked.

"The only real news is that an asari matriarch showed up recently."

"What was the name of this matriarch?" Shepard inquired.

"Benezia, why?"

"Classified. Where is she now?"

Parasini looked at Shepard curiously before saying, "She left for Peak 15, a Binary Helix research facility, a few days ago. You'll need a garage pass to get there."

"Where can I get one?"

"You'd have to get it from Anoleis, or one of the heads of the Noveria branch of one of the companies here." she replied.

"Got it, you can go now." Shepard said.

After Parasini left Liara walked in and said, "Did that woman really say that my mother is here?"

"Do you always spy on the meetings of others?" Shepard replied.

The young asari looked down and said, "I have been watching everything that goes on this ship for the last three days. That way if anything is beginning to go against you I could alert you to the situation."

"Right, so besides being a doctor you're also an information broker?" Shepard asked.

"That would be correct Commander."

"I want you to quit watching the crew, understood?"

"Yes, Commander, but did you find a disk on Therum?" Liara asked.

Shepard looked suspiciously at the asari and replied, "No, I didn't. Why?"

"I lost an OSD on Therum, I was hoping you found it. It has immense personal value to me."

"Alright, but you should go gear up. I'm taking you with me because of your personal connection to Benezia." Shepard said.

"Understood, Commander."

* * *

SSV Normandy. Captain's Cabin.

"Miranda, I want you to come with Garrus, Liara, and I." Jessica said.

"I'm surprised you would be so willing after Therum." she replied.

Jessica smiled at her and said, "I plan on getting you some good armor so that you don't end up almost dead like you did on Therum. Who knows how many more of those we're going to encounter."

"That isn't necessary." Miranda replied.

"Miri, yes it is. I'm not going to be taking you with me on any missions unless you have proper protection. I won't have you die because you weren't willing to wear some armor."

"Jessica, there are better ways to use our funds than giving me armor."

"Miri, our enemies have weapons that can rip through shields and barriers in a few shots, but have trouble penetrating armor efficiently."

"You're serious?"

"Those beam weapons didn't pierce my armor, or Wrex's. Come on, we need to go." said Jessica.

"All right. I never did like wearing armor. So heavy and uncomfortable." Miranda replied.

Jessica said, "The newer stuff they've made is lighter and gives plenty of breathing room while still being safe."

* * *

Port Hanshan Market District.

Jessica walked up to the hanar shopkeeper and said, "Greetings, what goods do you have?"

The hanar shuffled it's tentacles a bit and replied, "Many good things, Commander, what would you like to see?"

"Just show me all of your armors."

"Of course, this one is pleased to help you."

Half an hour later, Shepard, Miranda, Liara, and Garrus were wearing Light Spectre armor bought from the shopkeeper.

When they reached Anoleis's office, Shepard saw Parasini sitting at the secretary's desk. She then said, "Can I see Anoleis now?"

Parasini looked up and said, "I'll check. Mr. Anoleis, Commander Shepard would like to see."

An irritated-sounding salarian said, "Tell Shepard that she can't see me right now, I'm busy."

"Shepard _is_ a Spectre. It would be smart to see her."

"Fine, but make it quick." Anoleis said.

"You can go see him now." Parasini declared. Upon entering the inner part of Anoleis's office they were greeted by him saying, "What do you want?"

Shepard replied, "I need a garage pass."

"You can't have one!" he snapped.

Garrus whispered, "Careful, Shepard, this guy's nuts. Don't say anything to piss him off."

"Administrator, I don't want any trouble, I just want to get a pass so that I can get a wanted fugitive."

"While the Administrative Board gives you limited authority here, it is ultimately up to me whether or not you get a pass. And I say you can't have one, _human._" Anoleis spat out the last word.

Shepard reached for her gun when Anoleis said, "Unless you're willing to tell your dark haired friend come up to my room tonight.", but Miranda gently placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "It won't do us any good."

Shepard gave Anoleis a death glare before leaving. She walked up to Parasini and said "I'm in, where can I find Qui'in?"

"In the bar on the far side of the plaza." she replied, "Thanks Shepard."

Shepard just looked at Parasini and replied, "Anoleis is an asshole, he needs to be taken down."

"Harsh. You should get going."

They left and went to the bar, but when they had to get on an elevator, Shepard sighed and said, "Why is it that we can make space ships that go faster than light, guns that have basically limitless ammo, map the genomes of alien species, and yet we can't have an elevator that goes faster than one tenth of a mile per century?"

Liara replied, "Modern elevators are slow, because it is a way to have people slow down and think."

"Right. It's really just because they like making people wait for an actually good model isn't it? Have the consumer buy the latest model thinking it might move at a decent speed. They had stuff faster than this in the 20th century back on earth." Shepard griped, Liara was about to respond when the doors opened revealing the bar. Shepard and Miranda walked over to Qui'in while Garrus and Liara went to separate corners of the room to keep watch.

"Lorik Qui'in?" Miranda asked.

The turian responded, "Yes?"

Shepard said, "We're aware you've been having trouble with that asshole Anoleis. We were wondering if you needed our help."

"I don't want the help of a Spectre, too many strings attached. I learned that the hard way."

"Here are what we would _like_ if you did. When we get you back your evidence, which we will no matter what you say to the second part of this, bring it to Gianna Parasini, she'll use it to put Anoleis behind bars for the rest of his life."

* * *

Anoleis's office.

"Gianna, is Shepard helping you in your search for Qui'in's evidence so you can arrest me?" Anoleis asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about sir." Parasini replied.

"Don't lie, it's unbecoming such a pretty woman."

* * *

"She would say she's working for IA." Qui'in said, "The truth is, she's Anoleis's lover.

"Why would she lie to a Spectre?" Liara asked.

* * *

Anoleis walked up to Gianna, grabbed her and pulled her close before saying, "I know you still work for IA. That what we've shared on a few nights is just a cover to you."

She looked at him and said, "Anoleis, my dear, I don't work for IA and never have." The salarian responded by slapping her and saying, "Don't lie to me."

* * *

"She's into salarians?" Shepard asked, looking disgusted.

"Indeed." Qui'in replied.

"Why'd she lie to us?"

"So she can get her hands on the evidence to destroy it." the turian replied.

"That lying bitch!" Shepard swore. "Lorik, do you have a copy of the evidence on you?"

"Of course, Spectre, do you want me to forward you a copy?"

"I'd appreciate it." She replied.

The turian handed her an OSD, "Here's the copy I made when I heard that you were being contacted by Parasini."

They sprinted to the elevator where they regrouped with Garrus and Liara. They rode it down in silence and sprinted across the plaza to Anoleis's office. When they entered the inner sanctum they saw Anoleis tear off the front of Gianna's dress, shouting, "You lying bitch! Why'd you tell me about Qui'in having evidence against me!"

"I'd let her go, Anoleis." Shepard said.

"Why should I listen to you, Commander?" the salarian asked.

"Because, if you don't I will put a round in your head." Shepard replied.

"I don't believe you."

"Neither did the batarians on Torfan." Shepard said.

"So the first human Spectre is the Butcher of Torfan. They'd surrendered when you killed them."

"They didn't immediately do as they were told, and weren't willing to surrender their leader to the Alliance."

The salarian visibly paled, before releasing Parasini. "I let her go, now please, don't kill me."

Shepard glared at him and said, "Sorry, I don't think I can bring myself to letting you live. Not after what you wanted to do to Miri, and what you were doing to Parasini." Shepard said, before putting a single round in his head.

Parasini looked at Shepard and said, "Damn it! Now we can't find out what happened to all of the credits he stole!"

"Be grateful I don't do the same to you. You sold out Lorik Qui'in to Anoleis. In my eyes, you're just as bad as he is." Shepard growled.

"He wanted me to give him all the credit. To say he did all the work! All he did was look at the statistics! He didn't have to have that filthy salarian grope him! I sold him out so that I could get what I deserve!" Parasini shrieked.

Miranda looked at Parasini with contempt while saying, "You failed to do your duty. Your job was to get Anoleis arrested no matter what the cost. You don't get to chose when to betray your contacts. You deserve to die with him."

Parasini looked at her and said, "Right, I now see why Henry had you replaced. Shame you had your little girlfriend kidnap Oriana."

"How do you know all of this?" Shepard demanded.

"Like you don't know, _Jessica_. You were a tech expert from an extremely young age, and were hired for a reason. Too bad you got too attached to her to actually do it."

"If you were expecting to surprise me with the fact that you know my first name, you're going to be disappointed."

"How do you know my father?" Miranda asked.

"I was chief of security at his estate until the day Oriana was kidnapped."

Liara asked, "Who is this Oriana?'

Before Parasini could say anything, Shepard hit her on the back of the head and took her garage pass. She then shot Parasini in the legs, saying. "Stay down, bitch."

Garrus looked at Shepard and asked, "Was that entirely necessary?"

"Probably not, but it felt good." she replied.

"Is there anyone who doesn't work for my father?" Miranda asked.

Jessica smiled at her and said, "We don't. Team move out. We've got a base at Peak 15 to raid." Shepard said.

Liara asked, "Are we really going to be going out in this weather?"

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.

"There's a blizzard going on right now." she replied.

"Shouldn't be an issue." Garrus replied.

"The mako was moved to the garage right?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, but it may have been tampered with." Garrus said.

"So long as it still works fine, it doesn't matter. If not, I'm sure your calibrating skills can fix it." Shepard said as they walked to the garage. They were interrupted; however, by the ERCS guards, led by Sergeant Kaira Stirling. "Don't move, we know you killed the administrator."

"How could you be certain he is even dead?" Liara asked.

"We have cameras set up everywhere. We saw you shot the administrator." she replied.

"As a Spectre I am allowed to do whatever the hell I want here. That is the position of the Board of Directors." Shepard said.

"We don't care about that. Men," she began, but Captain Matsuo walked up and said, "Stand down!" when the guards didn't respond, she said, "I gave you an order! Stand down now!"

"Maeko, they're working for Anoleis. Or they were before I killed him." Shepard said.

"Jessica, shut up. You're going to get yourself shot." Matsuo said.

"So it'll be just like old times, except you usually ran and hid in the back with a sniper rifle instead of taking point. Remember that op in the Terminus when we had to deal with T'loak's men" Shepard replied.

"I've had all I can of your attitude, Commander. So fucking cocky just because you were able to kill a bunch of batarians and become a Spectre. Men, they killed Administrator Anoleis, kill them!" Kaira shouted.

The guards then opened fire, tearing through Matsuo's shields before she could get to cover. Shepard and Miranda got in cover behind a pair of pillars, while Liara caught the guards in a singularity so Garrus could get to cover in the entrance to Anoleis's office.

Shepard opened fire, but had to go back in cover because some guards in the back opened fire. Liara had taken a few hits, but got in cover before she took too much damage to her shields, and Garrus had managed to kill three of guards in the back of the plaza. With the guards in the back under fire, Shepard and Miranda were able to pop out of cover and kill four more guards, including Stirling before a guard hit Shepard with an arc grenade grenade. Her shields barely survived the blast, but her omni tool was fried. She pulled out her shotgun and shot the guard so that there was just a whole where the middle of his torso had been. Meanwhile Garrus had finished the guard's in the back and Liara was working on killing a vanguard who charged her when she tried to hit him with a throw. Miranda had overloaded the shields of three guards and was working on shooting them in their arms, then their legs. When Shepard threw three inferno grenades into the group of enemies, Miranda hit them with a snap freeze. The ensuing tech burst left nothing of their enemies except for ashes.

Shepard, then collapsed and said, "My omni tool's fried."

Miranda walked up and tapped a few keys on hers, before saying, "It should be working now. Just a temporary shutdown due to exposure to excessive energy."

Shepard tried to load her tool, but it wouldn't work. "It's destroyed. After all these years it's finally died on me."

"Jessica, why do you care so much about an omni tool?" Miranda asked.

"Because it was a good omni tool. It got me through Akuze," the mention of which made Miranda twitch slightly, "it enabled me to save as many people as possible on Torfan, it helped me hold the line on Elysium. That omni tool has been with me since the day I joined the Alliance." Shepard said.

"Well, retire it then. Have it bronzed. Hang it up on your wall with a nice plaque, but please get up, and equip that omni tool you bought earlier." Miranda said.

"You're right, I can mourn it and Maeko later, but right now we have a job to do.. Team move out! We've got a base to raid and a matriarch to kill." Shepard said as she equipped her new omni tool.

"A matriarch to kill! You can't be serious." Liara said.

"I am serious. She's worked with Saren since I was a kid. She helped plan the attack that destroyed my home. So you can bet your alien ass that I'm going to kill her, doctor." Shepard replied.


	7. Chapter 6: Noveria Part 3

Port Hanshan Garage, Noveria.

"What are you doing here? You need a pass to be allowed in here." A turian mechanic said.

Shepard looked at him and said, "I have two passes for the garage, do I need a third?"

The turian just sighed and said, "Sorry, but a lot of people have sneaked in recently, and I've been getting blamed for it by Anoleis."

"You won't have to worry about him anymore." Garrus said.

"Why's that?"

"Shepard killed him." Liara replied.

"Guards! Intruders in the garage!" shouted the mechanic. When no one came, he asked, "Did you kill all of the guards?

"No, just the ones who tried to kill me and my team." Shepard said.

"Because you killed the administrator."

"I just need my vehicle. Where is it?" Shepard asked.

"It's right over there by Matriarch Benezia's stuff." the turian answered.

"Crap. Garrus, got any grenades?" Shepard inquired.

He just asked, "How many do you need?"

"Four. We need to blow up Benezia's crates. Who knows how many geth there are in them." As if on queue, the crates burst open revealing ten geth. Shepard looked at her team and said, "Get to cover!" She took cover behind the door on the right, Garrus behind a group of crates in the back of the room, Miranda on the left side of the door, and Liara tried to hold the geth down with a singularity, but their shields enabled them to ignore it.

Liara was then hit by three geth hunters at once. Garrus quickly killed the three geth, but when a prime began to glow red he switched to shooting it. Miranda was shooting at a group of geth troopers who had been outside of range of Liara's singularity. Shepard helped Garrus kill the glowing prime, but while that was going on a geth pyro had managed to knock Liara out by stomping on her back.

Meanwhile, Miranda had killed the four troopers she had been fighting, and switched to the pyro, Garrus worked on killing the snipers in the back of the room, and Shepard killed a destroyer running towards them. With just the pyro left, Garrus ran towards Liara to fix her up, while Shepard and Miranda killed the last geth unit. Liara got up, but Shepard said, "Go back to the Normandy."

The asari looked at Shepard and replied, "I thought you wanted my help."

"I want your help, but I don't want to have to deal with you getting knocked out every time we get in a fight."

"I won't always get knocked out."

"If you don't get in cover, you will. And I really can't afford to have you die on my watch. It would probably make Tevos move to remove my Spectre status."

Liara looked embarrassed and said, "I apologize, Commander I will be more careful in the future." _As you should be around Ms. Lawson. _She thought.

"Good, if you disobey an order while we're heading to Peak 15 I will turn the mako around so we can leave you behind. Understood?" Said Shepard.

"Yes, how long do you expect it to take to get there?"

"Thirty minutes at most." Shepard said as she and Garrus got in the mako. When Miranda moved to do the same, Liara grabbed her arm and said, "Why are you here _operative?_ Surely your Illusive Man has something more important for you to work on."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Miranda replied.

"I wonder what Shepard would do if she learned you've been lying to her all this time."

"What do you want?"

Liara smirked, and replied "Shepard would be a valuable asset to me. I have a need of someone with her skills."

"You want me to hand Jessica over to you? Are you insane?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. I need someone who knows how to fight. Shepard is one of the best fighters in the galaxy. If Shepard refuses to help me when I ask, you are to... change her mind."

"And if I don't?"

"Shepard learns that you work for Cerberus."

Shepard then popped her head out of the mako and asked, "What the hell are you two doing?"

"Just making sure that there are no geth that will be following us to Peak 15." Said Liara.

"Got it, but we need to head out. Get in, both of you." replied Shepard.

* * *

Cronos Station: The Illusive Man's Office.

"Admiral Hackett, I need you to do me a favor." Said the Illusive Man.

Hackett looked at him curiously, before asking, "What do you need that would make you ignore my request to be left out of your Cerberus plots?"

The Illusive Man replied, "I've lost one of my people to Shepard's squad, I would like you to try to remove her."

"Why haven't you given this task to some of your active agents?"

"I have, they aren't doing a satisfactory job. One screwed up big time, the other isn't even trying."

"Jack, why did you have Anderson and Udina do your dirty work?" Hackett inquired.

"They were the only two with any contacts that would be beneficial for the task given to them. Do this for me, and I won't ask more of you."

Hackett sighed, before saying, "Fine, but if you contact me after I've gotten her off of the Normandy for good, I will do what I can to get her back on board. What intel do you have for me?"

"The dossier has been forwarded to your private terminal." replied TIM as he typed a few commands.

* * *

Noveria: Peak 15.

Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus walked into VI core chamber. Liara had pissed Shepard off, so she'd been sent back to the Normandy. When Shepard went down into the core itself, Miranda asked Garrus, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He laughed and said, "You really do like Shepard."

"Really, why do you care if I like Jessica?"

"Because, Shepard is a Spectre, she can't afford to have an ally who she will abandon her mission to save."

"Garrus, Shepard knows how to sacrifice friends to do what has to be done. I will not cause her to abandon her duty."

"She abandoned you and it turned her into a wreck for twenty years."

"Garrus, I am being very careful to ensure that Miri is near me at all times so that I don't have to worry about turning my back on the mission to save her." Said Shepard as she emerged from the VI core.

"How can you be certain that something won't come up?" Garrus asked.

"I can't, but I can tell you that I don't let members of my crew run off when the fate of the galaxy is at stake. Now we need to head to the roof to turn the power back on. Garrus, you take point. Miranda, guard our sides. I've got our six."

* * *

Hackett walked into Anderson's office and said, "I need some help."

"What with?" the Captain asked.

"Helping the Illusive Man remove Ms. Lawson from the Normandy. I need you to contact someone."

"Who?" asked Anderson.

* * *

When Garrus, Miranda and Shepard arrived on the roof they were ambushed by a group of rachni soldiers. As they opened fire, one of the rachni threw a crate at Garrus, who barely managed to dodge it. Shepard shot it with an HMWSGX while Miranda hit it with her HMWPX. Garrus shot another rachni with a concussive shot, a third with a carnage, and Miranda killed the fourth with a warp.

Shepard then jogged to the terminal at the far end of the roof, while Miranda and Garrus gathered all they could from the nearby crates. When Shepard finished hacking the terminal she led the three back to the elevator. She then input the reactor core command.

* * *

"It will take a few days to set up, but it should be set up by the time Shepard returns to the Citadel from Noveria." Said Anderson.

"Good, but Anderson, why didn't you work on this yourself?" asked Hackett.

"You know why. You've known Jessica for as long as I have. Surely she confided in you her somewhat _personal _history with Ms. Lawson."

Hackett just nodded in acknowledgement, before turning to leave.

* * *

Peak 15 reactor core.

Shepard left the elevator first, and was immediately attacked by a group of geth destroyers. She overloaded one's shields, shot it with her assault rifle, and drained another's shields in three seconds, while Garrus and Miranda shot the other two. When she finished the first geth, she hit the one she had energy drained with the butt of her rifle, knocking it down, so she could switch to her pistol and shoot it three times in the head.

They then walked into the next room where they were attacked by two geth rocket troopers and a hunter. Shepard was hit by two rockets, and was sent flying back into a wall. Miranda screamed, "Jessica!" while shooting the rocket troopers. Garrus handled the hunter while Miranda checked on Shepard.

After Miranda applied some medi gel Shepard was back on her feet moving towards the reactor controls. Upon examination, Shepard saw that the reactor would have to be manually reactivated. However, it would be suicide without protective gear. Sighing Shepard said, "Garrus, is there any protective gear in here?"

He looked at her and said, "No, but there were a few mechs that looked like they'd been used for previous repairs."

"All right, that'll have to do." She said, hacking one so that it would got through the necessary movements to reactivate the reactor core.

* * *

Saren's cloning facility, Virmire.

Sovereign's image appeared and the ship asked, "Have you found the Holder of the Cipher yet?"

Saren sighed and said, "No, Sovereign, but I have found out that the one who interrupted the op on Therum was the human who interfered on Eden Prime and Torfan."

"That is of no consequence, we _must_ find the conduit."

"We are working on it. Benezia has forwarded the location of the Mu Relay to us, so we can gather any rachni that escaped the krogan's purge."

"A minor victory. Contact your Shadow Broker." said Sovereign.

"Why? The Broker has no information that would lead us to the Conduit. It would be a waste of time to contact him."

* * *

Rana Thanoptis' office.

"How do you feel?" asked the asari. When the turian didn't reply, she asked, "What commands have you received from Sovereign?" Still no answer. Have you received any commands from the ship?"

"You're trying in vain to get Nihlus to speak. Sovereign has taken him fully." said a young male quarian.

"Goddess! How many times do I have to tell you to not sneak up on me Qael'Tharn vas Qwib-Qwib nar Neema?"

"Why do you insist on using my full name? I prefer to be called Qael."

"I don't _insist_ on calling you your full name Qael. I just do that when I'm surprised." she said.

"Fine, I just came to let you know that Saren is sending your faithful test subject is being sent back to the migrant fleet."

"You aren't a test subject, Qael. I made that clear on day one. I was merely making so that your body would not react strangely to outside stimuli by making it think it was still in the suit environment. It really is amazing that the quarian people could be freed of their suits merely through a different perspective."

"Yes, but Rana, I have to leave tomorrow. I was wondering if you could get me a copy of the imprint you used on me so that I don't have to wear my suit all the time. It would sway the conclave to move towards a more, favorable course of action."

"Of course, I'll forward it to your omni tool." said Rana.

* * *

"You do not know what it is like to be a mother. There is power in bringing another life into the world. It is truly a shame Liara chose to work with you." said Benezia.

"She chose to work with me after your people tried to kill her." replied Shepard.

"Saren's people tried to kill her. I did not. You humans have always been close minded about such things."

"There's a difference between being close minded and being practical. A difference you fail to grasp." said Miranda.

Benezia twitched, and then asked, "Have you ever faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have." She then raised her hand, and asari and geth poured in through the various entrances. Shepard threw a grenade into one group, killing them all. Miranda shot several of the geth before Benezia threw her against a wall.

While Shepard charged Benezia, Garrus killed the asari who were trying to shoot Shepard. When Shepard reached Benezia she pulled out her shotgun and shot the asari in the gut. Miranda groaned and got back up, but Shepard had already slammed Benezia into a wall. The geth and asari continued to charge in, but when they were about to be overrun Captain Ventralis and his men showed up.

They killed most of the enemies from behind, Shepard's team getting those they missed. When all of the enemies were dead he just said, "The bugs have been converging on sector G-6 so we could afford to come and check on this. We do need to head back though, who knows when they'll attack next. Or where." When he was gone Benezia said, "I am sorry, Shepard. Sovereign's power was too great for me to resist forever."

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.

"Saren's flagship has a weapon far more terrible than mere cannons. It is known as Indoctrination. Through it Sovereign can gain control over those who spend time around it. I thought I could resist, but was wrong."

"Why are there rachni here." Miranda asked.

"Saren influenced Binary Helix to restore them so he could find the Mu relay. I do not know what he intends to do with the information, but he has it now. Shepard, please stop Saren. If he succeeds we will all die." said Benezia.

"Do you still have the location of the Mu relay on you?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, it is in this OSD. Take it, before I fall to Sovereign's foul influence again." she replied, handing Shepard the OSD. She then said, "Shepard, please forgive me for what I've done. And tell Liara, my Little Wing, that I love her."

"Of course, what of you?"

Benezia drew her pistol, put it to her head, and replied, "I must die. It is the only way to be freed from Indoctrination." She then pulled the trigger, ending her own life. Shepard then closed her eyes, but when she turned to leave, one of the comandos rose and said, "You have removed the one whose song was tainted by the Old Machine. But your singing is... strange." said the asari as if fumbling over her words.

"How is it alive?" Miranda asked.

"It is not, we are using it as so that there is a voice you can comprehend." replied the rachni queen.

"Why are you talking with us? The rachni have always been hostile in the past."

"Our ancestors were corrupted. Their songs like oily shadows. Our children; however, are why we speak with you. They had none to sing to them, so they have gone mad. Please, end their suffering."

Shepard looked at the rachni queen and said, "You want me to kill your children?"

"Yes, they are beyond saving."

"What of you?" Garrus asked.

"That is for your leader to choose. Will you release us so that our people can sing once more. Or are the rachni to disappear into the void once more?" the queen asked.

"What do you mean our singing is strange?" Miranda asked.

"It is not a thing we could describe to you."

Shepard looked at the rachni and asked, "If I free you, will your people wage war on our civilization once more?"

"No, we do not remember what happened in the wars, but we shall not battle your people. We shall disappear, never to be seen again."

"Then I won't doom your people to extinction." Shepard replied, freeing the queen.

"Shepard, was that wise?" Garrus asked as the rachni walked out into the wilderness.

"Garrus, I won't drive a race to extinction if I can avoid it. Maybe saving the rachni will come back to bite me in the ass, but I don't regret it. Their people deserve a second chance." Shepard replied.

"Jessica, you did the right thing. The rachni could prove to be a powerful ally in the future, but I worry that it won't earn you any points with the Council." said Miranda.

"I don't care. They would probably have complained just as much if I'd killed the queen." Shepard replied, while heading for the elevator, with Miranda and Garrus following right behind her. As they took the ride to the nearby labs, Shepard looked at Miranda and said, "What's wrong? You look like something's bothering you."

"It's nothing. Just thinking about what happened to Benezia." Miranda replied as the doors swung open, showing them a mostly empty hall, except for one man.

"Hello!" he said.

"Hello, why are you here?" Shepard asked.

"I came here to try and kill the rachni with the neutron purge, but I was injured and can't get to it." he replied.

"What's needed to activate the purge?" Shepard asked.

"Just the code. Will you put it in for me, so this nightmare can end?" he asked.

"Of course, just give me the code to activate the neutron purge." Shepard replied. When he was about to, a rachni soldier stabbed him. Shepard killed it, but four others had showed up. Miranda and Garrus each had one, but the other two were charging. Shepard swore under her breath and hit each of them with an incinerate.

She then ran into the next room and set about activating the neutron purge. Miranda and Garrus walked in, but Shepard said, "Head to the elevator now." They silently complied and a few seconds later they heard the station VI say, "Neutron purge activating in five minutes." Then dozens of rachni swarmed the room, as if to stop the purge. Shepard opened fire and threw several inferno grenades.

Miranda and Garrus shot as many as they could, and Miranda threw down a singularity to clear a path for Shepard. When she got in, Shepard hit the transit commons button in the elevator, and it shot up.

"See, this is what we need everywhere, fast elevators." said Shepard.


	8. Chapter 7: Back to the Citadel

SSV Normandy Communications Center.

"Why did you save the rachni, Commander? Now once this is over we'll have a bigger threat than Saren on our hands!" Said Sparatus.

Shepard glared at the turian and replied, "I told you after you made me a Spectre that I wouldn't sacrifice innocents to get the job done. The rachni were the victims on Noveria, so I spared them."

Tevos said, "How can you say they are the victims, when they killed the entire staff of Peak 15?"

"Because they were separated from the queen so they couldn't develop properly." replied Shepard.

"If you can't eliminate a race in the defense of the Citadel, then perhaps you're too soft to be a Spectre." Said Valern.

Shepard glared at the salarian and said, "You would be just as angry with me for killing the rachni as you are for me sparing them."

Tevos sighed, and said,"Shepard, we are in a difficult situation. If our operatives are not willing to sacrifice a single species for the good of the others, then they aren't placing the proper value on every individual race."

"The rachni weren't responsible for the wars. They were, for lack of a better term, under mind control."

"Shepard, don't be ridiculous, the rachni were _not _under mind control." said Valern.

"You thought the same of Benezia. Indoctrination is a form of control where the victims retain some sense of who and what they are. From what little intel I've been able to gather on the subject, it seems to make you think that the Indoctrinator's will is correct. Then you start to view it with superstitious awe." Shepard replied.

"Intel you gathered from an OSD given to you by the enemy." Sparatus said.

"When Benezia gave me the OSD she wasn't one of our enemies. Just a woman trying to right the wrongs she had unwittingly done." Shepard said, sending Joker a text to disconnect the council.

"Commander, that is not!" Sparatus began, but was cut off mid-sentence. Shepard sighed and walked up to Alenko, who said, "Commander."

"What's with all this Commander crap, Kaidan? We've known each other for what, three years now?" Shepard asked.

He sighed and said, "Three years of lies. Go away Shepard, if that's your actual name."

"I didn't lie to you. I didn't tell you my life story, but I didn't lie to you." Shepard replied.

"Right, so were you bending the truth when you told me that you weren't a criminal?"

"I'm not a criminal."

"That's a funny thing for a Tenth Street Red to say. I did some digging after Therum. You'd be surprised what can be found with the right contacts."

"Kaidan, I cut off all ties with them when I joined the Alliance. They'd try to kill me, but they don't dare go after Alliance personnel."

"Right, they'd have tried to ruin your reputation if you'd actually left the gang."

"They would have _if_ they thought it was necessary. Shortly after I joined there was the whole mess on Mindoir." Shepard replied.

"Why do you always insist on lying to everyone!" Kaidan shouted, "Why do you think that we're all idiots who will believe everything you say. You don't tell anyone that you brought your best friend onboard the Normandy, you don't tell anyone that you were mixed up with the Reds. You don't tell _anyone_ the truth. All you do is lie to everyone around you. You're even lying to your own girlfriend." He said, immediately after which Shepard slapped him and said, "_I am not lying to anyone, Lieutenant Alenko!" _Before walking away. She then headed into the Med Bay to check up on the asari.

"Hello, Jessica, how are you doing?" asked Doc Chakwas.

"Fine, you may have to treat Kaidan soon though." she replied.

"What did he say that made you attack him?"

"It doesn't matter. If I can't trust him, though, he'll be left on the Citadel. I may have to tell everyone the truth, if this doesn't blow over soon."

"Jessica, if you aren't ready for them to know everything about you, then don't tell them."

Jessica sighed, and said, "It isn't always about whether or not I'm ready. It's affecting how the team works together. T'soni won't even listen to my orders because of it. Williams won't say a word to me, and Kaidan thinks that everything I've said for the last three years are lies."

"It doesn't matter what they say they think, what matters is what they actually think. Deep down they know you're a good person, who'd only do it because you had to."

"Thanks, Karin. It's good to know that someone other than Miri and Wrex don't hate me."

"You should speak to T'soni. She won't say a word to me, but I can hear her crying." Karin said.

"I guess I have to. Talk to you later Karin." Jessica replied, before entering Liara's quarters. "Doctor." She said.

"Commander Jessica Shepard, Earth Systems Alliance Military. N7 marine. Former member of the Tenth Street Reds, tutor hired by Henry Lawson for his daughter Miranda, the Butcher of Torfan, Hero of the Skyllian Blitz, and the Sole Survivor of Akuze." said Liara.

"Why are you listing my history?" She asked.

"No reason," the asari said, "But I would like to know why you try to keep so many secrets, yet a single information broker was able to find it in less than half an hour."

"I don't try to keep secrets, doctor. I just came to see how you were doing since your mother died." Shepard said.

"I am fine."

"Chakwas seems to think otherwise."

"The good doctor has heard me crying, but not for my mother. I have been mourning those slain by the rachni, whom _you spared._"

"The rachni deserve a second chance." Shepard said.

"Do they? They nearly annihilated our civilization." Liara replied.

"They did so for the same reason your mother was aiding Saren."

"They deserved extinction. The protheans were a far more noble race then they, but were driven to extinction. Why should the insects deserve a better chance when the protheans didn't get one."

"If the prothean race's survival was in my hands I would let them live. The reapers killed off the protheans, Not me." Shepard growled as she turned to leave.

"Yes, do tell Lawson I said hello."

* * *

"What the hell is going on here?" Qael asked, as he was grabbed by three marines.

"We received data that you were working with the geth, on a certain human colony. One Eden Prime." Said Rael'Zorah.

"The only way we will ever recover the homeworld is peace with the geth. They have the advantage of numbers, and us being trapped in our suits. But _their_ allies have figured out a way for us to be free of our suits."

"What you're trying to do is enslave our people to the geth!" growled Rael.

"No, what I'm trying to do is save our people. An alliance with Saren and his geth would enable us to reclaim Rannoch and be free of our suits. _You _and admiral Gerrel are enslaving us to the geth because you refuse to realize that we wronged them." he shouted.

* * *

SSV Normandy Cargo Bay.

"Go away Shepard." Ashley said.

"No, I've had all I can take of you treating me like a monster. If you want to know why I took the kid, then just fucking ask." Shepard replied.

"Why'd you kidnap someone?" Williams asked.

"Because her father would have raised her in an environment with no affection. The only time he would pay any attention to her would be when she failed to be perfect, and then just to beat her. If she tried to make any friends he would have them moved to different worlds. And if she so much as _tried_ to do something that was the opposite of what he wanted her to do she would be _tortured _by his people. I gave her a life where she wouldn't be killed by her own father."

"Fascinating, is there anyone who can support this?" Ash asked.

Miranda walked up and said, "I can. I was the one who asked Jessica to do it."

"Someone I'll actually believe, instead of the stray you picked up on the Citadel?" Williams asked.

"Not that I'd introduce you to." Shepard replied, as she grabbed Miranda's hand and pulled her towards the elevator.

"So, how's the crew feeling towards you?" Miranda asked.

"Tali's accepted that it was necessary for me to save Oriana, Kaidan wouldn't give me a chance to talk to him. Ash, you saw for yourself. Wrex didn't care, just said he'd had similar missions in the past. T'soni, I'm not sure on." Shepard said.

"What about Garrus?"

"After a quick talk he accepted that it was the right thing." Shepard said, leading Miranda to their quarters. Once inside, Shepard started kissing Miranda, pressing her against the wall. Her hands quickly found the zipper to Miranda's suit, which she began to pull down, when Joker interrupted, saying, "Shepard, you may want to see this. Message straight from the council."_  
_

Shepard sighed and said, "I guess this'll have to wait until later Miri."

"It's okay. I'm perfectly capable of waiting, for now." Miranda said.

* * *

SSV Normandy bridge.

"You really pissed them off. They want to talk to you in person about your actions." Joker said.

"Why'd this need me coming up here?" Jessica asked.

"Because I also intercepted this on accident." Joker said, as he loaded up another message, this one to Liara, "My dearest daughter. If you insist on following this path it will lead only to pain. You must accept that you are no longer who you were. You should seek sanctuary in one of the temple's of the goddess. Your loving mother, Benezia." "It was sent two days ago on a low priority channel. From Thessia. It could be a lead on where Saren's HQ is." Joker said.

"Okay. I should go back to Miri now though."

"Take pictures!" Joker called, as Jessica headed down to her quarters.

* * *

Cronos Station.

"What do you mean it will only take another few hours for Miranda to be separated from Shepard permanently?" The Illusive Man asked.

Hackett looked at him and said, "I've arranged for her sister to be in false danger. She won't go to Shepard now because the mission against Saren is too important."

"They have no leads. So she might ask for help."

"I've arranged a false lead."

"What is it?"

"Thessia. We forged a message from Benezia to her daughter. Then sent it with a fake time stamp." Hackett replied.

"Good. I don't want her learning about her past with Shepard. It could compromise her. She's needed for the project."

"What Project?" Hackett asked.

"I can't tell anyone not working on it, but it could ensure human dominance." replied The Illusive Man.

"Understood, Hackett out."

* * *

"This can't be happening, not now." Miranda said as she looked at the message on the screen. It was just three words. "Henry found Oriana."


	9. Chapter 8: Interlude

"Shepard, I have to leave the Normandy for a while." Said Miranda.

Jessica looked confused, and asked, "Why do you need to leave?"

"It's my father. He's found Oriana."

"Why do you have to leave to check up on her? We can go once we're done with meeting the council on the Citadel."

"Jessica, you can't afford to be distracted from the mission right now."

"We don't have any solid leads, just speculation." Jessica replied.

"Currently, but we can't risk you being busy when we get new data about where Saren is striking next."

"It will be days before we have any new intel, if the council is to be believed."

"Yes, but we can't risk it."

"Miranda, we have plenty of spare time. If a member of my crew has a problem I find a way to help them, even if there isn't time."

"This isn't like one of your previous ops! The fate of the galaxy is at stake here!" Miranda replied.

"Jessica, we're about to land on the Citadel, you should probably head to the Citadel Tower now." Joker said.

"We need to go. I'm going to get Garrus and Tali, met us in the airlock." Jessica said, turning to leave.

"Jessica, I'm serious. I _have _to leave. It's the best way to get Oriana to safety."

"Why? It doesn't make sense. I could help you move her. Don't you trust me?" Jessica asked.

"I do trust you, it's just that he couldn't have found her without allies who it would be bad for you to alienate."

"I'll risk it." Jessica replied as she walked out of the room.

* * *

Citadel Tower.

"Shepard, you've been making some questionable choices since you became a Spectre." Sparatus said.

Valern said, "You have recruited a doctor, and made her a member of your ground team. You have managed to alienate one of the most powerful men in the galaxy, and you spared the rachni when it would have been better to kill them."

Shepard glared at the council and said, "T'soni needed someone to keep her from getting killed by Saren's men. The rachni could become productive members of galactic society. And I had alienated him long ago."

"You may think you're doing what's best, but you don't take civilians into a firefight." Tevos said.

"You're just complaining because it's an asari civilian who has been put into danger. I've put human civilians into danger, but you didn't complain about it. If all you were calling me here to do was to get on my case you could have done it over a comm channel." Shepard said.

Tevos replied, "You can put your own people in danger, but you should be more careful when putting the people of other races in danger. We can't afford for you to cause an incident with another race."

"You made me a Spectre so that I could make the controversial decisions that you can't. Spectres are given a wide range of operational freedom. They are told to do a job, and you don't look too closely at how they get it done. Yet here you are, micromanaging how I handle every op. Why don't you quit trying to do my job for me, and do what _you_ are supposed to." Shepard growled.

"Commander, you are walking a thin line!" Sparatus shouted.

"I know that none of you wanted to make me a Spectre. That you'd rather humanity crawled back to earth and left you alone so you can do what the hell you feel like without us upstarts getting in your way. Trying to improve things so that we can all live better lives."

"That is not true, Shepard, but you are under greater scrutiny because of the fact that you are the first Spectre of your race." Valern retorted.

"Right, do you have any new leads for me, or can I go now?" Shepard asked.

"Nothing right now, but we do have commandos investigating the signal that your pilot intercepted." Tevos said.

Shepard looked at them before saying, "Councilors, I have some things I need to look into while I'm here on the Citadel, and would like to handle it while I can."

Valern replied, "Of course, but Shepard, don't alienate any powerful businessmen. It's not good for the council."

Shepard just laughed and said, "I can't do that sir, alienating businessmen is my hobby." while walking out of the chambers.

* * *

The Migrant Fleet, the Rayya. Treason hearing for Qael'Tharn vas Qwib Qwib nar Neema.

"Do you deny that you have conspired with the geth?" Admiral Gerrel asked.

"I did not _conspire _with the geth. They've never wanted war with us. We are the ones responsible for the conflict with the geth. What has our war with our creations given us? Nothing but disgrace and an endless exile. Three hundred years ago we were on a path that would have ended with us on the council. Now we are distrusted almost as much as the geth. We cannot afford to waste our lives in a war that only we want." Qael replied.

"A war only we want? The geth drove us off of the home world. We lost our civilization to them." Rael replied.

"After we tried to take away their existence."

"Qael, we've served together. I support making peace with the geth, I'm sure you are aware of that. But helping them attack human colonies is not the way to earn the trust of the galaxy back. Why are you doing this?" Admiral Koris inquired.

"To prove to the geth that they can trust us. So that they will accept a peace we offer. Saren has extended an offer of peace between not only the quarian people and the geth, but also with the reapers. He offers us survival, you only give us death."

* * *

Citadel, the Presidium.

Shepard and Miranda walked towards someone who claimed to have information on Saren. The salarian said, "Greetings I am Manovai."

"Hi, I'm Commander Jessica Shepard Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"I know who you are, but who is your companion?"

"Miranda Lawson. A member of my ground team." Shepard replied.

"Well, all I know is that Saren is looking for something. I heard him screaming at some of his, employees, that they were taking too long."

"Where was this?" Miranda asked.

"I am sorry, but I cannot tell you."

"What was Saren looking for?" Shepard inquired.

"Something he called the Cipher."

"A Cipher? Why does he need a cipher?" Shepard asked.

"Not any cipher. A _prothean_ cipher. He believed that a creature had it, but I can't remember its name." Manovai said.

"Okay, where was this."

"I won't tell you!" Shouted the salarian.

"Why?"

"That doesn't matter."

"_Where _did this conversation happen_?_" Shepard asked. The salarian just convulsed and drew a pistol, but Garrus shot him from his sniper perch nearby.

"Nice shot Garrus. Well, Miri, looks like we have some free time after all." Shepard said, with a small smile.

Miranda smiled back and said, "True, we'll need to go to Feros to get her."

* * *

"We find you, Qael'Tharn vas Qwib Qwib nar Neema guilty of all charges and remove all titles from you. You will leave the migrant fleet never to return." Admiral Shala'Raan said.

Qael glared at her and took off his mask while saying, "This is idiocy! Saren has freed me from my suit. Why should we imprison ourselves in them when we can be free?"

Gerrel looked at him and said, "It's a matter of honor, boy. We _will_ be free of them one day, but when we free ourselves from them it won't be through tricking ourselves. Take him away." Qael was dragged away from the stand shouting, "You will regret this when the reapers return! You will beg them to spare you but will find no mercy. The deaths of our people are on your heads!"

"He's a lunatic. These _reapers _of his are hallucinations." Rael said.

* * *

The Illusive Man's office.

"It didn't work, Hackett. Shepard still has Miranda on the Normandy." said TIM.

"That can't be right. We had everything set up perfectly. There is no way Shepard could have prevented it." Hackett said.

"Your lead was too vague. Shepard will be helping Miranda relocate her sister to Illium. You failed Admiral."

"I tried, Illusive Man. Maybe you should just call her back. Say you have a job for her."

"I don't take that direct a route. It leads too many prying eyes to Cerberus."

"Well, Jack, I have no other way to remove her. Hackett out."

"You won't give up that easily if you know what's good for you. Remember Akuze." The Illusive Man shouted.

"Don't try it, Illusive Man."

* * *

SSV Normandy Bridge.

"So, why are we headed to Feros?" Joker asked.

"Miranda needs some help." Jessica replied.

"Already handling intergalactic problems for her? You move pretty quickly, Jessica."

"Sometimes things come up. I'd meant to go their on my next leave anyways, taking Miri is just a bonus."

"Right, sooo. Where are my pictures?" Joker asked.

"I told you that I wouldn't take any, Joker." Jessica said.

"Aww come on!" Joker said, "I always thought you were cool on that stuff."

"Now you're lying. When you first asked me about it I told you that I am _not _a fan of having the entire galaxy scrutinize my relationships. I mean, why do they even care about my personal life. It's _personal, _or _private._"

"Awww, does the poor little Commander hate the paparazzi?"

"If you have seen my service history, which I know you have, because you were in most of it. You know that the paparazzi avoid me ever since they learned I'm not afraid to shoot their cameras." Jessica replied.

"Jessica, you really should try to give the press a chance. I'm sure _someone _in the press would get along with you."

"Joker, it would take the end of the world to make me get along with a member of the press, instead of just punching them in the face. Like I did with Al-Jilani."

"I saw that on the news. Why did you punch her? She seemed to really get under your skin."

"Butcher. That's all she would call me. The bitch believes we should just give the batarians what they want." Jessica growled. Getting up to leave.

"Sorry, that must have been tough. Joker said, serious for once in his life.

"It isn't your fault. I just hope I live to see the day when no one cares about Torfan." Shepard said.

* * *

The Human Embassy.

"The Illusive Man has called off the mission to retrieve Operative Lawson." Udina said.

"I know, he contacts me too." Anderson retorted. "I still don't know why he's abandoning it. IT isn't like him."

"Semper fidelis non sumus. That's what he said to me."

"This doesn't feel right. He's up to something."

"Maybe. Or perhaps he realizes we can't affect Shepard."

* * *

Saren's cloning facility.

"What do you mean you were exiled!" Saren shouted.

"The admirals were not as open minded as I when it comes to the geth. They insist on fighting them, when aiding us would be to their benefit." Qael said.

Saren glared at the quarian, then said, "Go. I will find some task for you to perform now that we have lost the aid of the quarian people."

In the next room, Rana Thanoptis looked at the quarian confused. He'd wanted to return to the flotilla for weeks now. Why was he so depressed? She asked herself. "What's wrong, Qael?"

"I was exiled from the migrant fleet. I will never see the flotilla again." he replied.

"That's horrible!" Rana said.

Qael looked at the asari, sighed, took off his mask, and said, "This is a relic of my time with my people. I don't need it anymore." He then threw it aside.

"Are you sure you want to give up everything that reminds you of home?"

"Yes, they rejected me, so I shall reject them." Qael said, before wrapping his arms around Rana and saying, "But you, you I would readily accept."

Rana blushed, and said, "I thought you weren't attracted to other species."

"Who said that?" he asked.

"It was just a guess." she admitted as she looked into his silver eyes.

"So, want to go to my quarters?" he asked.

"That sounds nice." The asari said, before they walked to his room.

* * *

translations.

Semper Fidelis non sumus: We are not always faithful.


	10. Chapter 9: Feros, the Harvest Begins

Thanks to Blue Marlin for the review.

* * *

Feros. The name of the planet that held the thorian, and the cipher. Strange that humanity had planted so many colonies down on planets with immense amounts of data important to the reapers. And all within the last twenty years. "Attack the colony immediately." Saren said. "Leave no one alive"

Qael walked up and said, "Saren, what of the thorian? Don't we need it alive?"

"Yes, but the colonists must be eradicated. Leave no sign that we were here." Saren said.

Shiala jogged to Saren's side and said, "We have just received some information that indicates there is a particular human on this planet whom it would be wise to spare."

"And why should we spare one of them, Shiala?" Sovereign asked.

"The human who interrupted our attempt to eliminate T'soni, and our operations on Noveria is close to a relative of this colonist. If we took her hostage it would prove beneficial."

"Who is this human that we can use against Shepard?" Saren inquired.

"We do not have a name, but there are several photos of her." Shiala said, as she handed Saren a datapad.

* * *

"Captain Anderson. I need you to do something." said the Illusive Man.

"What is it?" asked the captain

"In Tuus Mundus malus est."

"Right, who is it?"

"Not who, what. We've received information of a rogue AI on the Citadel that is hacking into Cerberus accounts. I want you to find it and shut it down."

"Where is it located?" Anderson inquired.

"All we know is that it is on the Citadel, but the Presidium would be a good place to start." TIM stated.

"Got it, anything else?"

"Find and kill whoever set it up."

"That won't look good to the council." Sighed Anderson, "But it will prevent it from happening again."

* * *

Feros.

Oriana was walking home when a massive ship descended from the sky and destroyed the defense turrets with a single shot from each of its 'fingers'. Then when it neared the surface dozens of geth jumped out of the monstrous machine. The other colonists were gunned down with cold efficiency. Oriana screamed and started running to her parents' house. When she had reached the door, she was knocked down by another colonist. He looked down at her with silver eyes and said, "Wow, Saren will be pleased that you were caught so quickly."

"Who the hell is Saren!?" Oriana screamed.

"Shut up, filthy human." he sneered.

She kicked him in the chest, but he didn't even stagger back. He did; however, grab her by her shirt and say, "If you do that again bitch, I don't care what Saren and Sovereign say. I. Will. Kill. You."

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"From you personally? Just a hostage."

"Why _me?_ There are hundreds of other people in this colony." the man didn't reply, instead opting to knock her out. He then dragged her into his fighter, got in and flew back towards Sovereign.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Bridge.

"Joker, what's the situation on Feros?" Jessica asked.

"I'm not sure," Joker said, "But I think Saren's hit it."

Miranda looked terrified "They're going to kill her." she whispered. Jessica wrapped an arm over Miranda's shoulders and said, "Not while I'm still alive."

"Don't say that! I can't lose both of you so close together."

"I'm not going to die Miri. We'll find her, I promise."

"Shepard, what's going on?" Garrus asked.

"Saren hit Feros." She replied.

"It was attacked by Saren, why?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know, but we have to get down there asap. I'm not going to let him do whatever the hell he wants and get away with it." Jessica said, pure hate for the former Spectre clear in her voice.

Joker closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "We're landing now. Be careful down there."

"Where's Tali?" Jessica asked.

"She got a minor infection when doing regular suit maintenance. Said to go on ahead without her." Garrus replied.

"Got it," Jessica replied as she hit the PA button, "Wrex head up to the bridge. You're coming on this op."

"Got it." Was the krogan's reply.

* * *

"The attack went well. We have recovered the Cipher, but now I will need time to determine where the Conduit is." Saren said.

Qael walked towards Saren and asked, "Where's Shiala?" She went with you to see the thorian, but we haven't heard from her since?"

"Ms. Thanoptis sacrificed herself so that I could receive the cipher."

"We _lost_ someone to that creature?" Qael asked, struck dumb by the realization that they didn't matter to the turian._  
_

"She chose to give herself up so that the reapers might return." Saren replied. "You will return to Feros alone, to prevent anyone from saving the colony.

* * *

"This is terrible!" the old woman said. "Little Oriana, taken by that bastard with three fingers!"

"Wait, _three, _fingers?" Miranda asked.

The older man looked at her and said, "Yes he had three fingers. Also, his eyes were silver with a faint glow to them."

Jessica said, "Qael'Tharn."

"Who?" Miranda asked.

"Qael'Tharn vas Qwib Qwib nar Neema kidnapped Oriana."

"Who is this quarian?" Wrex asked.

"One of Saren's people. He's a fanatic. Serves under Admiral Zal Koris of the Qwib Qwib."

"Great, so we have a crazy quarian on our hands." Ashley said.

"Worse, he has Oriana. To think it was all for naught." Shepard said, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Jessica, there was nothing you could have done." the mother said.

"I should have come here sooner, Samantha, Ben, I'm sorry." she replied.

"Please, don't blame yourself. It is _not_ your fault that there's a turian going around terrorizing colonies." Ben said.

"Really, Mr. Croshaw? I was_ days_ too late."

"Yeah, but you will find Oriana. You've never let her down before."

* * *

Virmire.

"Captain, we have confirmation that this is Saren's facility. It looks like it may also be his main base." Padon Wiks. said.

Captain Kirrahe looked at the operative and said, "Are you certain? We can't afford to communicate with the council unless we are certain."

"I am captain. Saren is here, and we have to stop him, here and now."

"All right, I'll make the call."

* * *

"Stupid! You thought Saren cared about us! Thought he would protect us! Well done Qael, get Rana's sister killed, or worse, because you trusted some turian!" the quarian said. "But, I will do what I can to save her. Rana's willing to quit if she can find a way out, but Shiala is at the mercy of the thorian."

* * *

Shepard, Miranda, Garrus, Ashley, and Wrex were in the mako, driving down the skyway. Heading to the exogeni hq. When they entered the building, they were greeted by a group of krogan attacking them. Wrex blasted them with the mako's weapons while Ash got out and opened fire on foot. When the last krogan died, the rest of the team exited the mako and began moving towards the entrance, but it was blocked by a force field. There, they saw a note, "One of the collapsed stair cases is still open enough to pass through." Jessica took it and quickly found the proper stair case. "Wrex, you go first." she said.

"Got it!" the krogan said, jumping down the hole.

* * *

"I have to be quick." Qael said, as he went into the thorian's lair. He sneaked up to the highest point, and waited. Hoping to find a way to free Shiala.

* * *

"Stupid computer!" a krogan battlemaster said.

"That is not a proper command." the vi replied.

"Just give me everything you have on species 341, or I will blow your virtual ass into actual dust!" the krogan growled.

"Please give a proper command quickly and move on. A line is forming."

"Shit!" Shepard said as she incinerated the armor of the krogan, and Wrex shot him in the head. This just angered it; however, and it charged Wrex. Nearly sending them both through a window before Shepard, Ashley, Miranda, and Garrus could shoot it 'til it looked like swiss cheese. Shepard walked up to the vi interface and asked, "What information do you have on the mental control capabilities of species 341." while inserting Lizbeth's key card.

"Species 341, commonly called the thorian, is an intelligent form of plant life that has been alive for over fifty thousand years. It's mind control abilities have been called, monstrous, but the executive board found it to have potential beneficial effects. It was decided that it would be studied, using the central are of the Zhu's Hope colony as a test group." the vi said, "However, contact was lost three days ago." it finished.

"Time to leave. We have to stop the unethical experiments that have been done on the people of Zhu's Hope." Shepard said.

"First we have to destroy the ship blocking the exit and jamming communications." Ashley said.

"You're right. Follow me." Shepard replied. When they reached the next area, they saw several geth worshiping a ball of light between three tentacles. Shepard lobbed an arc grenade into the middle of the group, while Garrus fired a concussive shot. The tech explosion killed the geth and opened a hole they could go through to close the door quickly enough to sever the claw holding the ship up. When they reached the next room; however, they were ambushed by geth hunters. Miranda, Garrus and Ashley were instantly knocked out, while Shepard hit the hunters with an overload and energy drain and Wrex shot them with his HMWSGX. As the last one fell dead, Shepard gave Miranda, Ash, and Garrus some medigel. When they got to the controls for the door, Shepard quickly got it within the desired range, and sent the ship down to its demise.

* * *

"Captain Anderson. I thought you would show up." said Deranus.

"Deranus," Anderson said to the salarian, "What are you doing?"

"Cerberus promised me a considerable amount of money. Of which only a small amount they were willing to part with. So I am taking what is mine, with interest."

"This is idiotic." Anderson said, as he shot Deranus in the head and detonated the AI.


	11. Chapter 10: the Thorian and the Cipher

Virmire.

"What is that Turian doing?" Oriana asked.

Rana Thanoptis said, "Nothing. His mind was destroyed after Saren shot him on Eden Prime."

"How is he alive?"

"That's classified."

"You were supposed to answer my questions."

"The truth is above my paygrade." Rana replied.

"Fine." Oriana said.

* * *

Feros: The Thorian's lair.

"Oh my god!" Miranda said.

Shepard looked at it, and said, "This isn't just a thorian."

"How can you tell it isn't just a thorian?" Garrus asked.

"The beacon, it had information about the species, I think. This, I believe, is the first thorian." Shepard replied.

When they reached it, the thorian spat out a green asari. It looked at Shepard and said, "You stand before the Old Growth."

"Why is it enslaving the colonists?" Ash asked.

"The alien promised them in exchange for the Cipher."

"Why does Saren want a Cipher?" Shepard asked.

"He didn't explain. You; however, have violated the deal made with the alien Saren who came with those whom cannot feed the new growth."

"The geth." Shepard corrected.

"A name given them by their makers. The Old Growth knows them as those whom cannot feed the new growth. You will be taken now, to pay for your transgressions against the Old Growth." the asari said.

Shepard drew her pistol and shot it in the head, before pulling out her assault rifle and pointing down a hall for the team to go down.

* * *

The Cipher was only partial!" Saren shouted. "There is another piece that we do not have."

"The Cipher may only be partial, but it is enough. We will prepare for the journey immediately." Sovereign said.

"We cannot be sure of what we will encounter. The protheans on Ilos may have developed countermeasures for the arrival of a reaper, such as the Conduit self destructing!" Saren argued.

"We will be ready to go to this, Ilos, in five days time. We will have Nihlus stay here as our last line of defense against possible attack on this facility."

"Is it really necessary to keep him under control in such a way? He is no more useful to our cause alive than dead."

* * *

Shepard shot one of the thorian's nodes, and it screamed, before she was overwhelmed by creepers. Miranda and Wrex used their biotics to then fling them off, and Shepard woozily got up. Staggering for a second before Garrus helped steady her. Meanwhile, Ashley had killed two more asari clones, and crippled another node. By then, though, they were being overrun by creepers. As Shepard regained her balance, she handed Garrus a grenade and said, "Give 'em hell." before collapsing. Garrus quickly threw it down in the midst of the horde, the anti thorian gas clearing out the creepers. Garrus, Ashley, and Wrex set about making sure their position was secure, while Miranda checked up on Shepard. Three more asari clones arrived and opened fire with their biotics, taking out Ashley. Garrus and Wrex killed them, but not before a creeper dragged Ashley off. Then a moment later she rolled back down the incline. And out walked non other than Qael'Tharn.

* * *

"Jessica wake up!" Miranda said as she applied some medigel, "You promised me you wouldn't die!"

"That won't work." Qael said.

"Who the hell are you?" Garrus asked.

"Qael'Tharn. Formerly Qael'Tharn vas Qwib Qwib." he replied.

"Why are you helping us?" Garrus asked.

"Because I've lost faith in Saren, and his masters." the quarian replied.

"Why would you betray the ones you betrayed your people for." Shepard asked.

He looked at Shepard and said, "I won't tell you everything, but he gave away a friend of mine to get his precious prothean cipher. He fights for what he thinks is right, but what he does to get the job done goes too far."

"You said medigel wouldn't work. Yet she's standing right here." Miranda said.

"Yes, but you don't have much time." Qael replied. "At most you have fifteen minutes before she becomes one of it's thralls. Just as Saren turned the asari into one in exchange for the cipher."

"Right, why don't you go back to Saren and your reaper friends?" Shepard inquired.

The young quarian looked at her and said, "I'm not supposed to let you get the Cipher. Saren made it clear that if I return to Virmire without you dead, I might as well be."

* * *

"Anderson, good work on the AI op." Said TIM.

Looking down, Anderson said, "It doesn't seem like a job well done. A man just trying to get what was promised him, dead."

"He was an enemy of Cerberus." TIM replied, "As a Cerberus Operative you had no other options. You know how we operate."

"Isn't it time we re-imagined what Cerberus can be? How we can go about advancing humanity?"

"Not until we have achieved our rightful place in the galactic community."

"What _is _humanity's rightful place? You say it's to rule over the other races, but what if it's to work with them to better life for everyone in the galaxy?" Anderson asked.

TIM said, "In Meus Mundus, Homines dei erunt."

* * *

Shepard charged through the remaining creepers, feeling her sense of self draining from her blood. As she threw a frag grenade into the last node_, _Shepard felt herself return to normal, as if the spores died with the thorian. She walked forward, and saw a single sac tear open, revealing a green asari.

Qael ran up and said, "Shiala! Are you alright?"

"I, I think so." The asari replied."

"Saren used you to acquire the cipher, correct?" Said Shepard.

"Yes, but you shouldn't need it. You were able to tell that the thorian was the Old Growth, the first of it's kind." Shiala replied.

Miranda glared at the asari, and said, "Just give us the bloody cipher already."

"Very well, Commander are you familiar with how to join minds with an asari?"

Shepard replied, "I have studied the theory, but never wanted to do so myself."

"Then you don't need any explanation." the asari said, as she reached for Shepard's open-hostile, but open-mind. She then implanted the partial cipher the thorian had given her. When she finished, Shepard turned to Qael and said, "Take your friend and go. I don't want to see either of you ever again."

Shiala interrupted Qael's attempts to take her to his ship saying, "I would like to help the colonists to make up for the pain I helped put them through."

Shepard glared at her, and said, "I meant it when I said leave. You've meddled enough with these people's lives." When the asari and quarian were gone, Shepard said, "There's something we need to investigate. I didn't want to mention it in front of Saren's people, but there is more than just a cipher that we need from here."

Wrex asked, "What the hell else do we need?"

"Justice."

"Justice?"

"It's a VI. We need to find it. It was designed by a group called, the People of Justice. They viewed it as their god, that it was the spirit of all good taking the form of a virtual intelligence so that it's People could understand it." Shepard replied, grabbing Miranda's hand when heading down a path that a hole in the wall Shiala's prison had been covering.

"Where did you get this information? Are you sure it's safe, or even real?" Miranda asked.

"Shepard squeezed her hand and replied, "Yeah, I have several sources within the People. They asked me to find it, and destroy it, because their faith didn't need the actual VI to have power, but it could turn some against their faith."

"Why are you helping them?" Ashley asked.

"Because," Shepard replied, "There is a very large reward for destroying it. And knowledge to gained, which is a reward in and of itself." After Shepard said this, Miranda burst out laughing.

Wrex looked confused and said "What's so funny?"

Jessica replied, "It's an inside joke."

* * *

POJ HQ.

"Sovereign, the VI shall be gone within the next few days. The enemy is working on destroying as we speak." said a turian with blow eyes with three glowing white dots arranged in a pyramid pattern.

"Good." the ship replied, "We cannot allow the knowledge it holds to fall into the wrong hands."

"What is on Justice?" the turian asked.

"That is classified."

* * *

Justice VI core.

"It's defunct, but we can still recover the data on it, before we destroy it." Miranda said.

Shepard looked at it and said, "No, we're keeping it. This _machine_ is a key, to galactic history."

"How can you be sure." Miranda asked.

"It's arthannel. hundreds of thousands of years older than the protheans." Shepard replied. "And still in a usable state. Recover what you can and send it to Alliance Command." Jessica said, quickly kissing Miranda before walking out to check on Garrus, Wrex, and Ashley.

* * *

"Well, how are you doing?" Saren asked Oriana.

She looked at the turian and said, "I want to go home."

"You will never return there."

"Why?"

"They're all dead by now."

* * *

"What you up to Garrus?" Jessica asked.

The turian looked up from his omni tool and replied, "Just trying to figure something out."

"What?"

"Nothing important," he replied, "but how do you plan to breach Saren's defenses on Virmire?"

"We will have to go in quiet and hit them hard before the geth realize we're there."

"That isn't much of a plan."

Wrex laughed and said, "You turians worry too much about battle plans."

"And krogan focus too much on just charging blindly into battle." Garrus replied.

"Garrus, Wrex, we really don't need this right now." Shepard said.

"Sorry, Shepard." Garrus replied.

"Shepard." said Wrex.

Ashley walked up and said, "Why'd you do that?"

"Couldn't risk them coming to blows."

"They know what they're doing, it wouldn't happen."

"Williams, I know what I'm doing. Wrex gets very angry when the genophage is mentioned." Shepard replied.

"Right, why do you think Qael helped us?"

"Who knows, maybe Saren thought I'd trust him if he helped us."

"What's the plan, Shepard? Where will we be going next?"

"Virmire. Where Saren _will_ die."

"Why are you so determined to kill him now? Before you wanted to just bring him in." Ashley said.

Shepard said, "He kidnapped one of the people here to use her against me. Williams, have you ever lost someone you saw as a little sister?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"The person he kidnapped I saw as the little sister I never had. Miri's been taking her capture hard." Shepard said.

"Why would she care about someone _you_ saw as a little sister?"

Miranda walked in and said, "Because the one Jessica sees as a little sister, _is_ my little sister."

* * *

"In mors non pacis eris." said Oriana.

"What?" Saren asked.

"An old saying." she replied.

Saren slapped her, and stepped on her throat saying, "If you want to say old sayings, say them where I can't hear them." Oriana choked out, "Fine, malus unus."

* * *

"Shepard, we received your report on what happened on Feros. The only information we can get off of the Thessia message is that it was forged." said Valern.

"Forged? Who did it?" she asked.

"Unknown, but we can tell you it was a member of the Alliance." Valern replied.

"Saren has a mole in the Alliance?" Shepard asked.

"Saren has only enemies in the Alliance." Sparatus said.

"Very well, do you have any information for me?"

Tevos replied, "Only that an STG that was sent to investigate reports of geth activity on Virmire went quiet yesterday."

"Their last message had a large amount of white noise, but we were able to piece together that they were requesting backup." said Valern.

"Understood. I was already headed to Virmire to investigate a lead, so it won't be a problem."

"Where did you find this lead?" Tevos inquired.

"Feros, ma'am."

"Were you sure it was legitimate before leaving for Virmire?"

* * *

"Qael, Shiala! Are you two alright?" said Rana.

"We're fine. It was close; however." Shiala replied.

"We should be fine, but we need to leave asap." Qael said.

"Why?"

"Because this isn't what any of us signed on for. We agreed to help Saren save the galaxy by helping the reapers, but he's not trying to help anymore." Qael said.

* * *

"Shepard, we'll be landing on Virmire in thirty minutes." Joker said.

"Good, it's time to show Saren what happens when you piss me off." Shepard said.

"No need to go all Butcher of Torfan on him." Joker said.

Shepard took a deep breath, and replied, "Torfan was a mistake, I'll admit it. But Saren is a threat that needs to be eliminated."

* * *

Captain Kirrahe's tent.

"Captain," Padon Wiks said, "The scouts report that Saren has captured a young human."

Kirrahe looked at him and asked, "How didn't we notice this before?"

"She arrived two days ago. From Feros."

"Can we get her out safely?"

"Not without backup."

"Then make _sure_ that we get that backup." Kirrahe said.-

* * *

"Jessica, who will you be taking with you on this mission?" Miranda asked.

"You, Garrus, and Tali." Jessica replied, as she put on her armor and Miranda did the same. They walked out of the Captains Cabin and saw that the others were ready.

"Ground team, get ready to move. Because of the AA turrets we'll be going in hot in the mako." Shepard said.

* * *

Oriana ran as fast as she could. Trying to sneak past the geth before they caught her. Just when she saw the exit before her, the dead turian stepped in her path and said, "You shall not leave."

"Damn it! Get out of my way Nihlus." she said.

"We are not Nihlus, we are Sovereign." it replied.

* * *

Translations. In Meus Mundus, Homines dei erunt. In my world, mankind will be as gods.

In mors non pacis eris. In death you will not be at peace.

malus unus. evil one.


	12. Chapter 11: Virmire Part 1

"Shepard, we have a problem. The AA turrets have... something guarding them." Joker said.

"What is it?" Shepard asked.

"We aren't sure, but it looks to be some kind of mech. It isn't geth though." Joker replied.

"We'll kill it." Shepard said, "Send us all the data you have on it."

When the data arrived Miranda said, "It looks a bit like a four legged version of the alien race that we encountered on Therum. It also appears to be much larger."

"Right. Garrus, you man the cannon. Wrex you will get out with Williams when we arrive and hit that with everything you've got. Any geth platforms that you come across are a secondary priority to killing that thing." Shepard said.

"What will we be doing?" Miranda asked.

"Any necessary repairs." Shepard replied, as she floored it. Heading towards the AA tower, Shepard saw that there were geth colossi in the way. She swerved to the right to avoid a blast from the one in the front, and activated the jets to evade a round from the one in the back.

Wrex, meanwhile had opened fire on the leading colossus and Tali was working on hacking the other. When Shepard saw that the first colossus had lost its shields, she turned the mako towards it and drove right into it. The colossus front legs crumbled backwards, and it fell on top of the mako. The roof creaked and Garrus fell into the main cabin.

Shepard hit the reverse, but the colossus grabbed the mako between its forelegs. Ashley visibly paled when this happened, and the walls began to crush in around them. Then, the colossus released them. and crumbled in front of them. Shepard saw that Tali had finished hacking the other colossus and had it shoot the one grabbing the mako. Shepard hit the reverse, but the mako wouldn't move.

"Garrus, Wrex, Williams, get out and finish off the other colossus while Tali, Miranda, and I work on repairs." she shouted. The three exited the vehicle from the back and opened fire on the immobile colossus, while Shepard, Tali, and Miranda examined the damage and began applying omni gel where necessary.

As the gel began to replicate the molecular structure of the mako, and push the walls back out, Shepard popped open the interior engine repair hatch. The inside was a mess, everything was out of place.

* * *

When Wrex shot the colossus's head so that it collapsed, it glowed red and a voice said, "Assuming direct control of this platform." When the three shot it again, there was no effect on the shields. It began to charge Wrex, but was distracted by Garrus jumping on it. He then whipped out his sniper and fired three times into its head before it overheated.

Meanwhile, Ashley had activated immunity and hit the colossus with a carnage and concussive shot. While the colossus shrugged off these attacks, Wrex ran underneath it and opened fire with his shotgun. The colossus tried to grab the krogan, but he managed to dodge it's legs. Which kept going and caused it to collapse.

* * *

The Citadel: Human Embassy.

"Anderson, you need to go check out Fist's old office on the wards." Udina said.

"Why?" he asked.

"We need all the information we can get on the Shadow Broker if we hope to have any negotiating leverage with it."

"I take orders from the Illusive Man, Udina, not you."

"The Illusive Man wants that information, but he didn't mention it to you because you had other tasks at the time. You need to give the information to Emily Wong. She will forward the Shadow Broker data to Cerberus, while the rest will be used to incriminate Fist."

"I don't think so." replied Anderson, "I'm not going to do this unless the Illusive Man orders me to." As he exited the room.

* * *

Noveria.

"Agent Parasini. You failed your duty to prove Administrator Anoleis' guilt. Yet he is no longer a problem. How is this possible?" asked a member of the executive board.

She looked at them and said, "Commander Shepard killed him sir."

"So, this is _Shepard's _fault? Not yours?" Another member asked.

"That would be correct sir. I asked her to recover evidence on Anoleis, but she instead entered his office wherein she shot him in the head."

"How many times did she shoot him?" the first board member asked.

"Four times, sir." Parasini replied.

"Then why does this video show that she only shot him _once?"_ asked a third board member.

"She shot him once, then shot him three more times after the video cut out."

"Yet, there is evidence that would say, _you_ shot him after Shepard left." a fourth member said.

"That evidence was doctored by Anoleis before his death."

"How could he doctor evidence of his death, and have a time stamp attached to it?" the third board member inquired.

"He had allies in Binary Helix, a company that had been performing experiments that caused Peak Fifteen to cut all contact and the neutron purge to be necessary." Parasini replied.

"Yes, project _rachni_." One member said, "We are familiar with it, but why was the purge needed?"

"Sir," Parasini began, "the rachni had not properly developed. They were savage due to separation from the queen. If her word is to be believed."

"Her word?" a member inquired.

"Surveillance indicates that the rachni are capable of telepathic communication, and that it used this to control an asari to communicate with Shepard, who after discussing the possibility of sparing or killing her, chose to show her mercy and release the rachni into the wild."

"We are not here to discuss the actions of a Spectre. They have the authority to make such decisions on the Council's behalf." a member said, "We are here to discuss your actions, agent."

"Sir, I did what I believed was best in the situation then and there."

"That was why you sold out Synthetic Insights to Anoleis?" The second member asked.

"I did that because I believed there was extra evidence that Synthetic Insights were holding back." Parasini replied.

"Parasini, you're our best agent. You always get the job done, but this operation shows a slip in judgement. We have asked you for the reasons behind your actions. And we deign them, unsatisfactory. You are hereby given a one standard year suspension, without pay." the fifth board member said.

* * *

"Damn it!" Shepard said, as the mako refused to move.

"Jessica, why don't you have Tali work on that while we work on the armor?" Miranda asked.

"It should be working. The engine is in proper condition. I don't know why it isn't moving unless the wheels aren't properly connected to the engine. We should probably check that. How's the main gun coming along?" She asked Tali.

"Almost done." the quarian replied. "It may need some calibration though."

"Understood. I'm going out to see how the wheel connections are." Shepard said, hopping out of the mako. When she got under the vehicle, she saw that the wheels had been disconnected at the base of the engine.

She quickly set about fixing this, when she saw the second colossus collapse. On her side, Wrex was shooting it at point blank range with his shotgun, while Garrus and Ash were behind it. She finished the front two tires, and moved on to the back two. Quickly connecting them, but saw that the middle one's connection hadn't just been pulled, but had been torn.

Swearing under her breath, Shepard got back in the mako to get some omni gel. "I need some of the omni gel." She said, but Miranda replied, "We're out. Had to use the last of it to fix a hole in the armor plating."

"Why do you need it?" Tali asked.

"The middle set of wheels have a tear in the connecting line. They'll move, but we won't be able to brake with them."

"Sorry, Shepard, if we'd known we would have been more conservative with the stuff." Tali replied.

"No problem. The cannon's up?" she asked.

"Yes, and it's still calibrated, I think."

"Good. Miri, get on the turret. Tali, you're on repairs." Shepard said.

"Understood." They replied at the same time. Shepard hit reverse, turned the mako towards the now standing colossus, and activated the jets so Miranda could hit it from above. When they were thirty meters up, Miranda opened fire, barely scratching the colossus' shields.

"Tali, do you know how to use an overload " Shepard asked.

"Yes, but why?" She asked.

"When we touch down I want you to jump out of the mako, then overload that thing's shields." Shepard replied.

"Understood." Tali said.

* * *

"Looks like the mako's back in action." Wrex said. looking at the vehicle fly into the air, before opening fire again.

"Yeah," Garrus said, "but it won't matter if that thing hits it." before diving out of the way of another shot from the colossus.

"How many times do you think that thing can shoot before its main gun shuts down?" Ashley inquired.

"Thirteen, then it shuts down for one minute. During that time frame the colossus is vulnerable to attacks to its main gun, as it has to be open to the cooler air to properly cool down." Tali said, as she walked up to them and used overload on the armature's shields, before also draining as much of it as she could with energy drain.

"Got it. That means, that it should be vulnerable in a couple of shots." Ash said.

"One more, actually." Tali said. as she evaded an energy ball, and overloaded the colossus' shields so that the mako could tear its armor apart. When the colossus finally fired again, it opened the cannon fully, so that it could cool down effectively. Garrus lobbed a grenade in while Wrex shot it with his shotgun. The Pulse Cannon detonated and when it did, so did the colossus' head.

"Nice throw, Vakarian, now we need to find some omni gel. Just a single unit should be enough." Tali said.

"There's some on that colossus you took down earlier." Ashley said.

"Thanks. Shepard should be happy."

"You found omni gel?" Shepard inquired as she and Miranda walked up to the rest of the rather large infiltration team.

"Yes, it's on the first colossus." Tali said.

"Well, Miri, I have some scavenging to do. You five hold the perimeter." Shepard said, sprinting to the downed colossus and recovering the fifty units of omni gel it had for repairs. When the mako was in working order again, Shepard gave the order to pile back into the mako, and set course for the AA towers.

* * *

"Captain!" Padon said. "Back up has arrived on the surface, but it isn't the fleet we requested."

"What is it?" Kirrahe asked.

"The human Spectre and five of her allies."

"Well, it's better than nothing. Make sure they get here safely. What is the status of the AA towers?"

"Currently online and under the protection of a Praetorian model unit."

"It's still there? Send a couple members of the team to help Shepard. We can't afford to lose what little backup we have." Kirrahe said.

Padon looked surprised, before saying, "Sir, yes sir!"

* * *

"Shepard, you've got to stop running over those pyjaks!" Miranda said.

"Why?" She asked.

"It's going to mess up the suspension and get blood all over the mako!"

"Yeah, but it isn't corrosive. And those little bastards deserve it." Shepard said.

"Why?" Tali asked.

"I was on a mission to Eletania to recover an Alliance OSD and they'd stolen it from the pod. We had to go through miles of poisonous Eletanian atmosphere to find different colonies of the things. And then, when we had," She said, stopping for a second to run over a pyjak, "they attacked us. Tore the helmet off of one of my guys. He died almost instantly."

The team's response was quiet, until Wrex said, "They're quite the little killers. On Tuchanka we lost a scout to a colony of them."

Miranda sighed and said, "While I'm sure it would be quite fun to share stories on how space monkeys savaged you and your people, we have an AA tower dead ahead. And a very angry looking guard mech." However, when it began to move, it was hit by three rockets, and a round from the mako's primary gun.

It quickly fell from this barrage, but the geth units nearby opened fire. With the shields at critical, Shepard hit reverse to avoid another onslaught from the geth. Wrex shot them with the mako's cannons, while Ashley and Garrus jumped out to shot them on foot. When there was just a prime left, Shepard accelerated straight towards it, but Miranda said, "Do you remember what happened last time you drove right into a geth?" Hearing this, Shepard activated the jets and burned the top of the prime with them.

Wrex than charged into it and shot out its torso. Shepard then exited the mako with Miranda and Wrex. When they entered the control area for the AA towers. They were greeted by a couple of salarians. "We'd been trying to find a way to kill that thing without losing any men for a few days. You are very skilled Spectre."

"Thanks." Shepard said, while hacking the towers. When it shut down, the first salarian said, "We were sent here to help you shut these down and then guide you to our base camp. Our Captain would like to speak with you."

"Understood." Shepard replied, "How far is it?"

"Not very. We came on foot. With your vehicle, we should be able to make it there in no time." the second salarian said.

"Then lead the way." Shepard said.

* * *

"Why did you try to escape, human?" Saren asked, while Nihlus stood in the back of the room.

"Because you kidnapped me. The only reason you were ever polite to me was to try to earn my trust so that you could use me." Oriana replied.

"Everyone has a use." Sovereign said.

"Shut up." she replied.

"There will be punishment for this." Saren said. "You will be constantly under Nihlus's guard, and Dr. Thanoptis and Qael will also be present at all times."


	13. Chapter 12: Virmire Part 2 the reapers

"Greetings, Spectre. I'm Captain Kirrahe, STG."

Shepard replied, "What's the situation here?"

"From what we were able to find out before most of our team was captured and our ship downed, this is Saren's main base of operations. It also appears to be a a cloning facility for krogan. We believe he's managed to find a cure for the genophage."

"Do you have any data on this genophage cure, or is there anywhere we could find some?" Shepard asked.

"Why would you want to cure the genophage?" Kirrahe asked, "If it was cured, the krogan would try to conquer the galaxy like they did after the rachni wars."

Wrex replied, "We saved your asses during the rachni wars and you thanked us with the genophage. If Saren's found a cure for my people, maybe we should ally ourselves with him."

"Wrex!" Shepard said, "Saren may have found a cure for the genophage, but the ones he's created aren't true krogan. They're his slaves, nothing more."

"This could save my race Shepard! Wouldn't you side with the only person who has done anything to save your people from extinction?"

"Saren's pet krogan aren't your people. They're nothing but animals!" Shepard said.

"I won't let an opportunity like this slip me by, Shepard. If you try to stop me, then I will kill you myself."

"Wrex, I will do everything I can to get as much information on this genophage cure as possible. But this is Saren's facility. If we let him grow an army of krogan, then we won't have a chance of stopping him."

"Shepard, how can you even think of doing that!" Kirrahe complained, "If the genophage were cured, then the krogan would be more dangerous to the galaxy than Saren!"

"If we don't cure the genophage the krogan will be extinct in a few generations." Shepard replied.

"You're being an idiot. We need to destroy all of the data that there is on the genophage cure. Otherwise the krogan will try to build an empire. They would threaten even the Citadel."

Shepard punched Kirrahe in the gut and said, "The genophage was a mistake bordering on a war crime! A large portion of your problems with the krogan could be fixed if they were united under a single banner, and they had methods like the quarians' to limit population growth."

"Very well, but Shepard, if three hundred years from now we're all krogan slaves, it will be your fault." Kirrahe said.

"Would you rather be remembered for allowing the krogan to have died out three hundred years from now?" Shepard asked.

"Better for one race to die, so that all will know peace. Than for it to survive and all know only war."

"I plan to have plans set up for if the krogan do rise up after the genophage is cured. But we're wasting time. Do you have a plan of attack for hitting the facility?"

"Yes, we've modified the engine from our ship to function as a nuclear device. It should work to destroy the facility."

"What's the downside?" Shepard asked.

"It can only be detonated manually. Someone will have to stay behind."

"Understood, but how do we get to the facility? I seriously doubt that Saren will just let us walk into his cloning facility with a nuclear device."

"That's where you and your people come in. We will need your ship to carry the bomb. After the bomb is on your ship, we will split into two teams. A smaller 'Shadow' team and then a larger force to hit the base from the front, to give Shadow a distraction. When you get in and have disabled the AA guns near the base, then your ship will touch down on the first open area of the cloning facility's roof. When the teams regroup, we'll need to decide who to leave behind to detonate the bomb." a second salarian.

"Who are you?" Shepard asked.

"My name is Padon Wiks."

"Okay. Captain, Wiks, how many men do you have left?" Shepard inquired.

"There are only ten of us left, counting Wiks and myself." Kirrahe replied.

"How many did you have first?" Shepard asked.

"Originally there were thirty of us." Wiks replied.

Miranda asked, "How did you manage to lose twenty men on a recon mission?"

"When we first tried to infiltrate the facility twelve were captured. Five tried to go back and save them, but were killed. The other three stuck with us, but the geth got them." Kirrahe replied.

Shepard said, "This has been a tough mission for your team. When do we strike?"

"Whenever you're ready. However; we could use someone from your team to ensure communications." Kirrahe replied.

"You can have all of my men that I'm not taking with me. You'll need as large a force as possible to make this work."

"You should leave someone to guard your ship. The geth would try to board your vessel while we are attacking." Wiks said.

"If that happens, there are guards on board the Normandy I wouldn't bring on a ground mission." Shepard replied.

"If you're certain that it will be safe." Wiks said.

"The Normandy will be fine. Gather your men captain, we'll be moving out as soon as I find out if Wrex is still on our side." Shepard said.

"Do try to hurry. We don't have much time." Kirrahe said, but Shepard ignored him and jogged over to Wrex.

"Shepard, this is idiotic."

"Wrex, I know this is idiotic, but it has to be done. Otherwise Saren will find the conduit and have an army of krogan to cover."

"Better than there not being any krogan left alive a thousand years from now.

"Wrex, I told you that I would gather as much data on the genophage cure Saren has found. I wasn't lying to you."

"Then you won't mind if I come along to make sure you stick to your word?" Wrex asked.

"I don't mind. I can see how this is a tough situation for you. You, Miranda, and I will be going around to enter the facility from the back."

"You're more like a krogan than any of these aliens we've encountered." Wrex said.

"Thanks, Wrex, but I still won't headbutt you." Shepard said, while heading to see Kirrahe.

Kirrahe asked, "Are you ready to strike, Commander?"

"Yes, I'll be taking Miranda and Wrex with me. The rest will be helping your team distract Saren's men."

"Good, who will be managing communications?" Kirrahe asked.

"Williams will be. If she gets injured and can't, have Alenko take over." Shepard said.

"Understood. Alenko has offered to help us set up the bomb. I haven't accepted his offer because I don't know how you would feel about it."

"If he thinks he can help, let him try to help."

"Okay. Then let us begin." Kirrahe said. He turned to his team and said, "You all know the mission and what is at stake. I have come to trust each of you with my life, but I have heard murmurs of discontent. I share your concerns. We are trained in espionage, we would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way. Think of our heroes. The silent step who defeated a nation with a single shot. Or the Ever Alert, who kept nations at bay with hidden facts. These giants do not seem to give us solace here. But they are not all that we are. Before the network there was the fleet. Before diplomacy there were soldiers. Our influence stopped the rachni, but before that we held the line. Our influence stopped the krogan," Kirrahe said, to which Wrex clenched his fists and growled under his breath at the salarian, "but before that, we held the line. Our influence _will_ stop Saren. In the battle today, WE WILL HOLD THE LINE!" he shouted, as both groups began to move out. "Good luck Commander." Kirrahe said before joining his men.

"Good luck to you too." Shepard replied. "Team, move out."

"Got it." Wrex said, following Shepard as she jogged along the side path they would be taking to Saren's base. When they neared a geth comm center, they were shot at by geth troopers with snipers. While Shepard and Miranda dove out of the way, Wrex roared and charged the base.

Shepard and Miranda drew their assault rifles, and opened fire on the closest geth. As their rounds tore through the geth units in front of the charging krogan, it drew his shotgun and hit one with the barrel, sending it flying into a wall.

After this, Shepard moved forward, hitting a pair of pyros with an overload before shooting one in the head and the other with an incinerate. Miranda shot one of the geth snipers, and Wrex rammed his shotgun into the chest of the other geth sniper, and pulled the trigger.

"Where's the communications mainframe?" Shepard asked.

Miranda walked up to a relatively short pillar and shot it. Saying, "It was this."

* * *

Meanwhile, Kirrahe's team struck at the main entrance of Saren's base. They took cover at the furthest forward point they could, before attacking the geth. When the first few rounds flew through geth units, they turned to face the intruders, and opened fire.

Pinning the team behind cover. From Garrus's sniping spot he saw that when their weapons overheated they ejected the heat sink and put in a new one, instead of waiting for it to cool down. He took aim and shot the leading geth. This caused a disturbance among the other geth who stood around just searching for the enemy who killed their leader.

The rest of strike team took advantage of the distraction, Kirrahe shouted, "Manovai hit the left flank!" The salarians and Ashley moved as ordered. hitting the geth with everything they had, they were pushing the enemy back, but Kirrahe saw it as a possible trap, "Pull back some, you're going to make them bunker down!" He shouted.

As all of the strike team fell back, he opened fire on several geth fliers that had just shown up. One managed to hit him with a rocket, before spinning out and crashing into a nearby wall. "Strike team this is Shadow team, we just hit one of their their communications centers." Shepard said.

"Much appreciated, Commander." Kirrahe replied, before opening fire on the geth again, while Padon Wiks helped Liara up. The asari doctor then hit the geth prime that had knocked her down with a shockwave followed by a warp and throw. The biotic explosion it created tore the thing to shreds along with several fliers near it.

* * *

Shepard led Wrex and Miranda up the path, where they were ambushed by geth destroyers. She hit them with an overload and Miranda warped them. Wrex opened fire with his shotgun, before biotically charging right into one. While he pummeled one of the enemies with a shotgun, Shepard finished off the other two and Miranda had gone to destroy the nearby satellite link, that they assumed would further damage geth communications. When she opened fire with her HMWPX She was hit on the back of the head, by a turian.

* * *

Kirrahe and Tali were working on killing a group of geth primes, while Kaidan shot a pair of geth rocket troopers. Ashley meanwhile, was getting pinned by a pair of pyros, until Garrus shot their fuel tanks, causing them to detonate. Liara had been taken down by a geth trooper. The salarians near her helped her up, and Padon Wiks overloaded the ones shooting Tali. Kirrahe managed to take down a prime with an overload, before one of his men was taken down, he turned to pick him up, but was sent flying by Saren, who said, "Leave now, or you will be destroyed by Sovereign!"

* * *

"Shit!" Ashley shouted through the comm., "Saren's threatening to use Sovereign against us!"

"Don't worry, we should be nearing the entrance to the facility." Shepard said, shooting the turian that had hit Miranda in the back of the head.

"We don't have much time! That thing could be here any minute now."

"Just a minute, Williams, I've got a blue suns merc to take care of right now!" Shepard shouted, as she tackled the turian, drew her pistol, and shot him three times in the head. She turned to Miranda and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but we need to get moving." She replied, as she finished destroying the satellite link.

"Right. We need to find a way to get Saren to not use his dreadnought on Strike team." Shepard said.

"Understood." Miranda replied.

* * *

"Captain Kirrahe! They're turning around on the east side!" Padon said.

"Saren's also leaving. Looks like Shepard found a way to save our asses after all!" Kaidan shouted.

* * *

Shepard walked up to the entrance terminal, and hacked it so that it activated the alarm on their side, "This should distract Saren from the Strike team." she said.

"Yes, but now we're going to have a much larger fight on our hands." Miranda pointed out.

"We can handle it." Shepard replied, walking into the main building. Geth and tank bred krogan flooded into the room. Shepard and Miranda took cover behind several nearby crates, while Wrex threw several lift grenades into the midst of the enemy.

Shepard drew her assault rifle, and opened fire before throwing several arc grenades into the group of geth and krogan. Then, with their shields down, she activated her multi-frag grenade function on her omni tool. When it launched into the group she said, "Wrex, get into cover!" the krogan just grunted before doing as told.

Shepard shot the last geth, and moved on to the next room. Inside, they were attacked by a krogan. Shepard hit him with an overload to take down his kinetic barriers, while Miranda hit him with an incinerate, and Wrex shot the krogan in the head. It roared and charged Wrex, who punched it, before tearing off it's face plate and filling its head with hot lead from his pistol.

While he killed the krogan, Shepard and Miranda killed his asari assistants. They then walked over to his terminal and began to hack it. They moved quickly through the firewalls. When they got through, Shepard saw the genophage cure data, but didn't know what it all meant. "Wrex, get over here!" She said.

The krogan lumbered over and asked, "What is it, Shepard?"

"Is this data on krogan physiology?"

"Looks like it, but that's all I can say." Wrex replied.

"Good enough for me."

"Then let's go." Miranda said.

"Good idea. Team move out." Shepard said, walking out into the next corridor. A few feet out, she was jumped by a group of husks. One jumped on her and let out an electric explosion, before pummeling on Shepard. Miranda grabbed the husk and crushed its skull, while Wrex shot the other two.

"Jessica! Are you okay?" Miranda asked.

Shepard groaned and said, "We got any spare medigel?"

"Yes, here I'll help you apply it." she replied.

"Thanks, Miri."

* * *

"Shepard, Come in!" Ashley said, "How far are you from Saren's office?" No response came through. "Damn it! Shadow Team come in!"

Miranda said, "Shepard was jumped on by a group of husks. I'm currently giving her some medigel."

"How long 'til you reach Saren's office?"

"Ten minutes at most." Miranda said.

"Good." Ashley said.

* * *

Shepard walked into Rana Thanoptis' office. "Ah!" the asari doctor screamed, "How'd you get in here?"

"The guards left the doors open." Shepard replied.

"What do you want with me?" She inquired.

"Saren took a human prisoner on Virmire. I want to know where she is."

"I'm in the back." Oriana said.

"Oriana, are you alright?" Miranda asked.

"I'm fine, who are you?."

"Why do you care what happens to our prisoner?" Asked a turian with a deep voice.

"Nihlus!" Shepard said, "I thought Saren killed you."

Qael said, "He did. This isn't Nihlus anymore. Merely a puppet of Sovereign."

"Let her go." Shepard said to the quarian.

"I'm not in charge here. Sovereign is." Qael said, pointing to Nihlus.

"What do you mean?" Miranda asked.

"Sovereign is controlling the turian through implants." Qael explained. Immediately after he said this, Shepard hit Nihlus with an overload and Miranda warped him. Wrex, meanwhile, charged the mind controlled turian. When he got in range he headbutted it, and shot it with his shotgun. It then grabbed Wrex and threw him into a wall, before lifting Miranda and trying to throw her through a window.

However Shepard shot him and overloaded him at the same time. It had little effect, but it distracted him. Meanwhile, Qael had drawn his sniper and lined up a shot on Sovereign. When Shepard threw an arc grenade into the reaper, Qael shot it in the head. It's shields collapsed,and Shepard and Miranda hit it with an incinerate, creating a flame explosion that killed it.

"Why'd you help us, quarian?" Shepard asked.

"Because I saw what Saren refused to. Sovereign won't show us mercy." he replied.

"What do you mean Sovereign wouldn't show you mercy?" Shepard asked, "Isn't Saren in charge?"

"If you go into his office, which you probably plan to, you'll hear everything from Sovereign."

"What do you want?" Shepard inquired?

"Just to be allowed to leave. Rana, Shiala, and I have had enough of this madman's work."

"Then go, but if you try to touch Oriana on your way out, I _will_ kill you. Understood, quarian?" Shepard replied.

"Yes," Qael said. Walking out with Rana and Shiala.

"Oriana, how are you?" Shepard asked.

"I'm fine, Jessica. What are you doing all the way out here?" she asked.

"I've been given a job from the council to take down Saren."

"From the council?"

"Didn't you hear? I was made a Spectre. Wrex!" Shepard said.

"What?" the krogan asked.

"Make sure that Oriana doesn't get injured, no matter what."

"Got it." Wrex replied.

"Wait, I can handle myself." Oriana complained

"Ori, listen to me. We'll be fighting geth and husks. You don't have any shields or barriers or combat armor. It's too risky." Shepard replied.

"All right, where are we going?" Oriana asked.

"Saren's office. We need to access the AA towers from there."

"It isn't really safe in there." Oriana said.

"I can handle it." Shepard replied. She and Miranda took point, heading into the elevator followed by Wrex and Oriana. As it went quickly up, Shepard asked, "How come the terrorists and corrupt have all the good elevators? I mean, the Citadel has elevators slower than a one legged, arthritic cow."

"Don't know." Oriana replied.

"Right," Shepard said while the doors opened. Inside, she saw a prothean beacon. "Miri, I'm going to access the beacon. Cover me while I do." Shepard said.

"Roger." Miranda said.

"Good." Shepard said, walking down to the lower level and quickly hit the appropriate keys to activate the beacon. She was then lifted up by the beacon and hit with a burst of energy from it that made her collapse when it let her down.

"Jessica!" Miranda said, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but you've been really quiet lately." Shepard replied.

"You know why I've been so quiet."

"Yeah, let's go. Those AA towers aren't going to shut themselves down, as convenient as that would be." Shepard said as she walked up to the terminal on the main level. After hitting a few buttons to hack the console, then when she hit the commands to shut down the AA guns, a hologram appeared, saying, "You are not Saren."

"What is that?" Miranda inquired, "some kind of shipboard VI interface for the dreadnought?"

"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh, you touch my mind. Fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."

"It isn't a VI." Shepard said.

"There is a realm of existence so far beyond you own that you cannot begin to imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign."

"So, Saren didn't find a reaper ship, but an actual reaper." Shepard said.

"Reaper, a term created by the protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end it is irrelevant what they chose to call us. We simply are."

"That can't be possible. The prothean empire was destroyed fifty thousand years ago. Even an incredibly advanced vessel would have fallen apart in all that time." Miranda said.

"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die, while we are eternal, preserved by our own technology. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything." it replied.

"You're awfully cocky for a single reaper facing an entire galaxy. We _will _defeat you." Shepard said.

"Confidence born of ignorance. When we return our numbers shall darken the skies over every world. The cycle cannot be broken."

"What kind of cycle are you talking about?" Oriana asked.

"The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance, and at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The protheans were not the first, they did not create the Citadel or forge the mass relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind." Sovereign said.

"Seems pretty stupid to give to others the technology with which they can oppose you." Shepard said.

"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays. Our technology. By using them you develop along paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist, because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it."

"What could you possibly gain by letting civilization to advance to a certain point, then destroying it? What do you want from us?" Shepard asked.

"My kind transcend your very understanding. We are each a nation. Independent, free of all weakness. You cannot even begin to grasp the nature of our existence."

"What bunch of idiots created you? Where did you come from?" Shepard asked.

"We have no beginning, we have no end, we are infinite. Millions of years after your civilization has been eradicated and forgotten, we shall remain."

"Then where the hell are the rest of your kind?" Shepard inquired.

"Our return draws near. When they do, all life as you know it, shall die."

"You aren't even really alive. Just a machine doing what it was programmed to. And machines can be broken, destroyed." Shepard replied.

"Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over." The reaper said. Then an explosion hit the back of the room, and Joker came in on the radio saying, "Commander, we have a problem."

"What is it Joker?"

"I don't know what you did down there, but that ship Sovereign, it's moving. It just pulled a turn that would tear any of our ships in half. It is coming your way and coming hard. Wrap things up in there fast."

"Got it." Shepard said. "Can you bring in the Normandy? The AA guns are all down. We have a civilian here we need to extract."

"We'll meet with you at the bomb site." Joker replied.

"Good, we'll be there soon."

* * *

"Come in Shepard," Ashley said, "Sovereign has turned towards your location! Repeat Sovereign is heading your way."

"Just a minute." Shepard said, "I'm gathering the video of our little chat with it now. The council needs to see this."

"Wait, Saren actually had security cameras in there?"

"Yes, it seems he thought that Sovereign would only reveal itself to him."

"What do you mean reveal itself?" Ashley asked.

"It's an actual reaper, not just a reaper ship Saren found." Shepard replied.

"What do you mean an actual reaper?"

"The reapers that destroyed the protheans and countless other civilizations are actually a race of ships." Shepard replied. "Got the evidence, we're heading to the bomb site now."

"Kirrahe! Shepard is going to be heading for the bomb site. We should head there too."

"Understood." the salarian replied. "Team move out, Shadow is headed to the breeding facility!" As they headed out they were ambushed by geth and husks. Liara and Kaidan handled the husks, while Ashley, Garrus, Tali and the salarians handled the geth units.

"How long ago was it that you contacted Shepard?" Kirrahe asked.

"Seven minutes ago. We need to hurry." Ashley replied.

* * *

Shepard and Miranda ran ahead of Wrex and Oriana to make sure the area where they were going to plant the bomb was safe, before calling Joker and saying, "The area is clear, get here now."

"On my way, the salarians and the rest of the ground team should be arriving soon." Joker said. Three minutes later, the Normandy flew in and Kaidan ran up, breathing heavily.

"You all right, Lieutenant?" Shepard asked.

"I'm fine, Shepard, just a little tired." he replied.

"Good, set up the bomb. I'm going after Saren." Shepard said. "Oriana, get on board the Normandy. It's the safest place for you to be."

"Why are you trying to get rid of me, Jessica?" she asked.

"Because this is a war zone. I don't want to get you killed after all the effort I went to save your ass."

"This is the kid?" Kaidan asked.

"What does he mean?" Oriana asked.

"It's a long story, Ori, but yes, Kaidan, this is the kid."

"Finally realized what you did was wrong?" He whispered.

"Just get the damn bomb ready. I meant it when I said I was going after Saren.

"You don't need to come after me, Shepard." Saren said, as he rose up on a hover platform.

"Shit! Miranda, hit him with a warp! Alenko, throw. Wrex, give him hell!" Shepard said, while she overloaded Saren's shields, and Miranda warped away his barriers. Wrex and Kaidan both missed with their attacks, but Ashley and Garrus showed up and opened fire on him, injuring the rogue Spectre. He went behind cover and said, "Why are you fighting me Shepard? You've seen the beacons, you know what the reapers are capable of!"

"The reapers may have beaten countless civilizations before us, but they've never destroyed ours."

"Yet." Saren replied.

"What made you give in to Sovereign? You were a Spectre, an ally of the Citadel. Why did you betray everything you know?" Shepard asked.

"I have betrayed nothing!" Saren growled, while hitting Ashley with a warp. "Everything I've done has been to preserve our races from the reapers. If we prove to them that we can be useful, then we shall be free of the cycle. Other races will discover the Citadel and not die. It will be a perfect union of man and machine. Life will flourish because of what I do. I am working to save more lives than have ever existed."

"You aren't working to save everything, Saren. You're destroying it. And Sovereign is destroying you. Can't you see that you've been Indoctrinated just like Benezia. Like Shiala?" Shepard asked.

"Indoctrination reduces the victims capabilities. Sovereign still needs me at my best. That is how I know I am safe. But the shift from ally to servant can be subtle."

Shepard replied, "The shift has already happened to you, Saren. How long before you ordered the attack on Mindoir did you discover reaper tech other than the mass relays?" Shepard asked.

"You may try to sway me to your side, human, but I am very familiar with your people's lies."

"Damn it Saren! Can't you see what Sovereign is doing to you? It's turning you into a mindless puppet!" Shepard shouted.

"No, Sovereign needs me!" Saren said, "It needs me to find the Conduit!"

"That's what it wants you to think." Miranda said.

"Silence!" Saren said, taking his hover platform and fleeing, while under heavy fire.

"Damn, he got away." Kirrahe said, as he and his team showed up.

"Who's going to be staying to detonate the bomb?" Shepard asked.

"I will be, Commander." Kaidan said.

"That isn't funny Alenko."

"I'm serious. I'm the best man for the job. You'll need time to get out of here, and I've got the best armor of anyone who could activate it." He replied.

"Kaidan, you're sure you want to do this?" Shepard asked.

"It's the only way." Kaidan said.

"Understood, give them hell, Lieutenant."

"Shepard, before you go. I'm sorry. I don't know what that kid would have gone through if you hadn't rescued her. But I'm sure it would have been terrible." Kaidan said.

"It would have been." Miranda said.

"Thanks, Kaidan. If this all goes to hell, meet me at the bar in heaven." Shepard replied.

"Sure thing, Jessica. Be sure to bring Miranda, though." he said.

"Please, if I die it'll be to save Miri." Shepard said, as she got on the Normandy.

"Knowing you I wouldn't be surprised." Kaidan said, as Shepard got in the Normandy, followed by Miranda. Everyone else had already gotten on the ship.


	14. Chapter 13: After Virmire

"Jessica, what's wrong?" Miranda asked.

"Was destroying that facility worth the deaths of twenty-one of our people? Did we have to stop Saren on Virmire?" she asked.

"If we hadn't destroyed that facility Saren would have had a krogan army to attack with. Twenty-one people died on Virmire so no one else would have to." Miranda said.

"You're probably right, I just have a hard time accepting that many losses. Reminds me of Akuze."

"Akuze?" Miranda inquired.

"I was part of an Alliance mission on the planet Akuze. We'd been given orders to investigate a distress beacon there, but when we arrived and had started looking around we were jumped by four thresher maws. They killed everyone but me. Thirty-five marines died down there, because I wasn't good enough to stop the threshers."

"You can't blame yourself for not being able to stop four of those things. Taking even one done is next to impossible. Even with tanks."

"I know you're right, but it's difficult to accept it." Jessica said, "It's time to have Joker set course for the Citadel.

"Yes, but what are you going to tell the crew?"

"Hopefully you'll tell them. Just enough for them to know the situation. I know where the Conduit is, and after we report to the council we're going to recover it."

"Then why aren't we going to get it first?" Miranda asked.

"Because, we need the council preparing for the reapers' return. If they can invade without the galaxy prepared, we won't stand a chance against them."

Miranda just nodded, before walking off.

"Miri, would you meet me in the mess hall when you've finished telling the crew?"

"Of course. See you there." Miranda said, walking off to inform Garrus. Shepard, on the other hand, went to the elevator and then the mess hall where she found Oriana staring into space. "You okay?" She asked.

Oriana snapped out of her daze and said, "Yeah, I'm just a little shocked about what happened these last few days." She looked Jessica in the eye and said, "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You just zoned out there for a minute."

"Sorry, I was just trying to figure something out." Jessica said, giving Miranda a small smile as she walked by. Miranda winked as she entered the med bay.

"So, you and her?" Oriana asked.

"If you have to ask, yes, we are together." Jessica replied, and brought up a picture of her and Miranda on the Citadel, but was interrupted by Liara screaming, "LEAVE MY OFFICE NOW, LAWSON!"

"Um, what did she do?" Oriana asked, but Jessica had already sprinted into the medbay. She saw Miranda backing away from Liara, who's biotics were flaring. Shepard glared at the asari, and asked, "What the hell are you doing, Doctor?"

"This fool entered my office when I had made it clear that I didn't want to be interrupted."

"She had a message from me, T'soni." Jessica growled.

"She could have sent it to my terminal or omni tool." Liara said, "I was working on something that is private and I _will _kill to protect.

"I don't care what you were working on, T'soni, if you attack another member of my crew, I will leave you on Omega with nothing."

The asari glared at Shepard before heading back into her office.

"You okay, Miri?"

"Yeah, but if you hadn't shown up when you had things would have probably gotten quite ugly."

"I don't want you going close to T'soni again for a while." Jessica said.

"I can handle myself, Jessica."

"I know you can, but I don't want to risk it."

Miranda sighed and said, "Okay, you wanted to meet me in the mess hall, right?"

Jessica smiled, held out her arm, and said, "Right this way." Miranda smiled, while grabbing Jessica's hand. When they entered the mess hall, Jessica headed straight for Oriana. Miranda paled, but Shepard said, "It'll be fine. It won't hurt for her to know that she has a sister that loves her."

"What's up?" Oriana asked.

"Not much, I just came along to introduce Miranda to you."

"Why are you introducing your girlfriend to me?"

"Because, she's been looking out for you as long as I have."

"What do you mean?" Oriana asked cautiously.

"Miri's your sister. She's the one who asked me to rescue you from your father."

Oriana's jaw dropped and she dove into Miranda, giving her a hug.

When Miranda had managed to pry herself free from Oriana's bear hug, she said, "Jessica, could you give me some time alone to talk to Ori?"

"Sure, just don't stay up _too _late. The captain's cabin just isn't complete without you." Jessica said.

"Jessica! Would you say these sorts of things in front of your little sister."

"If she were alive." Jessica replied. At this Miranda stopped and said, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that. I just wasn't thinking."

"It's alright. I should get going." Jessica said.

* * *

When she exited the elevator, Jessica saw Wrex and Ashley arguing over a cat.

"These things are evil." The krogan said.

"No they aren't!" Shrieked Ashley. "They're cute and furry and cuddly!"

"And pure evil." Jessica said.

"Not you too, Jessica." Ash complained.

"Those things are as bad as the reapers. Wouldn't surprise me if they were plotting with them just as Saren is."

"Really?" Ash said, "_cats, _working with the reapers."

"Yes," Jessica replied, "Those things are psychotic."

"Can I kill this thing now?" Wrex asked, "I'm starting to get hungry."

"Sure, just make sure to keep it away from Miri."

"Why?" the krogan asked.

"Just do it, Wrex, or we are just shooting that thing out of the airlock. Possibly along with one of your guns."

"A krogan's weapons are sacred." Wrex said, "To shoot one out of an airlock is a crime worthy of a generation of revenge."

"Okay, so not one of your weapons. How about one of your thirty suits of armor?"

"A krogan's equipment is sacred. _All_ of his equipment."

"Okay, so we'll just shoot the cat out, and you won't have it to eat."

"Got it." Wrex said, shooting the animal in the head with his pistol before heading up to the mess hall's kitchen.

Ashley glared at Jessica, and said, "How could you let Wrex kill that poor defenseless animal?"

"Easily. It wasn't defenseless." She replied. "It had claws, and the ability to use them."

"Against a krogan with a pistol and battle armor." Ashley said, before walking to her station. Jessica walked up to Captain Kirrahe, who said, "You have my thanks, Spectre. If it wasn't for you and your people, my entire team would be dead now."

"I'm just glad I was able to help you. However, I need your help to get STG backup."

"How would that be, Spectre?"

"Jessica." She corrected.

"Right." he said, "What do you need STG help for?"

"There's a threat out there greater than just a rogue Spectre. An ancient species of ships called reapers. We need to be as prepared as possible. That includes STG aid." she said.

"I'll do everything I can. I take it that besides dropping us off, this is why you are going to the Citadel. To prevent evidence to the council?"

"Yes, and thank you for your help." She said, before walking over to Garrus, who handed her a chunk of credits, before saying, "You win. Plus a little extra, for getting Lawson to lighten up."

"It wasn't too tough. I'd done the hard work years ago." Jessica said.

"Years?"

"Yes, years. No, I will not tell you the story."

"I wasn't going to ask. I was just surprised. So, what's up?" Garrus asked.

"I was just checking up on the team. We had a tough fight on Virmire."

"I'm fine, can't say the same for Alenko though."

"Yeah, you can't do that. Being dead isn't exactly fine.

The turian looked nervous then asked, "Where is the Conduit?"

"On Ilos. Through the Mu Relay."

"That relay's been lost for centuries. How are we going to get there?"

"Benezia's OSD had the location on it, which I added to the galaxy map in the CIC. But, you look like something's bothering you." she said.

"It's just that I recently was told that someone who got away from me back in my C-sec days was found recently. Compared to the Reapers it doesn't matter; however."

"Who was it, what did you want him for, and where is he?"

"His name's Dr. Saleon, he was cloning organs inside of people then harvesting the organs, and I'll forward the co-ordinates to the galaxy map after we stop Saren." Garrus said.

"Good, I'm going to check up on the others now." Jessica said, heading to engineering. "How you doing, Tali?"

"I'm fine. But I was curious about something."

"What is it?"

"What do you plan to do with the geth unit you captured?"

Jessica said, "SHIT! I completely forgot about it. I'll have to interrogate it.

"I was hoping you'd say that.." Tali said.

"Why?"

"I was hoping you'd let me come along. Any information on the geth we could get would be an excellent Pilgrimage gift."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Jessica, I had just been in a fight with it on Therum. I've had time to calm down since then."

"Okay, where is it?"

"Down on Deck four." Tali said.

"Okay, I'll be taking you and Ash with me to interrogate it." Jessica replied.

* * *

Deck four, SSV Normandy.

Shepard walked in flanked by Tali and Ashley. When she reached the downed geth's cell, she brought down the field keeping it offline, and brought up a firewall to prevent it from hacking anything near it. She then hit a few more keys on her omni tool to reactivate the unit. It stirred and said,"We did not think we would be brought back online."

"I'm not the kind of person to destroy a possible asset when we need as much help as we can get to stop the reapers." Shepard replied.

"You wish for us to assist you in your war against the Old Machines?"

"Yes," Jessica said, "but I was wondering what you could tell us about them."

"We know little of the Old Machines, but we will share with you what we know. All that we were able to learn about them was that they are made from the people of the civilizations they harvest, and have been doing so for over twenty-three billion years."

Jessica closed her eyes, then asked, "How can we hope to stop them?"

"This cycle has more warning than any other." the geth said.

Shepard just looked at it before asking, "Who are you?"

"We are geth."

"Who is the individual standing before me?"

"There is no individual, we are all geth. 130 in number."

"My name is Legion, for we are many." Ashley said.

"Christian Bible. Gospel of Mark. Chapter five verse 9. We find this to be an appropriate metaphor." Legion said.

"How did you have that on the top of your head?" Shepard asked.

"I've memorized the entire book of Mark." she replied.

"Got it, you can go now."

"Understood." Ashley said as she entered the elevator.

Tali walked up to Legion and asked, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you had some non-classified information on your people that you could share with me."

"There are certain files that we can transfer to you Creator Tali'Zorah." the geth said.

"I would be most grateful for that, Legion."

"It is not an issue. Transfer complete."

"Thank you!" Tali said, running into the elevator practically bouncing.

"What did you give her?" Shepard asked.

"Information on what we have done with their homeworld, Rannoch."

"What did you do with it?"

"We cared for it, preparing for the Creators' possible return."

"Why would you do that after forced them to flee?"

"We did not desire the morning war, the Creators attacked us first. We merely defended ourselves." Legion replied.

"Will you help us fight Saren and the heretics?"

"Yes. Where will you have us report for duty?"

"Just stay down here. We have some STG guests who wouldn't take kindly to a geth walking around. When they're gone, we'll find you some more appropriate quarters."

"Understood. We will remain here until told otherwise."

"Good," Shepard said, heading to the elevator.

* * *

Qael walked up to Rana and said, "We're ready to leave. Shiala will be here in just a moment. She's going back to Zhu's Hope to help them. I was thinking we could go to Horizon and help there. And if you found a job off world, then I'd go with you."

"That sounds good." Rana replied, heading into the shuttle.

* * *

"You have a geth unguarded on board a warship. Are you crazy?" Joker asked.

"We can't turn down help just because it comes from unsavory sources. Sometimes you have to take a risk." Jessica replied.

"I don't like it. If I lose control of the Normandy suddenly, I'm blaming you." Joker said, while Shepard looked at the message she had just received from Miranda. "I've got to go." She said.

"Have fun!" Joker called to Jessica's retreating form.


	15. Chapter 14: Ilos

The Citadel Tower: Council Chambers.

Shepard walked in flanked by Miranda, Garrus, and Tali. Sparatus said, "Shepard, what the hell were you thinking! Why did you use a nuclear device on Virmire?"

She looked at the council, before hitting a few keys on her omni tool to bring up a video. She said, "This is a conversation we had with Sovereign. With your permission I'll load it up on the main screen."

"That will be acceptable." Valern said.

"Good." Shepard said, loading it where Saren had been projected during his trial.

* * *

The Illusive Man's Office.

"Operative Leng, I need you to go to the Citadel to assassinate the asari consort. One of our agents accidentally gave her some classified information. Your cover has been set up and you have a ship heading to the Citadel in five hours."

The assassin looked at the Illusive Man and said, "Why just the consort? There are others I could kill too. Such as the council."

"Just the consort Leng." TIM growled.

"As you command." Leng replied, before exiting the QEC's area.

* * *

Sparatus said, "These reapers are clearly a threat to galactic stability. You spoke to it directly, what kind of advice would you give?"

Tevos said, "You can't truly believe that the reapers are real. It's probably just a VI interface."

"It is real." Shepard said. "The empire sent a warning. A tale of the threat that is the reapers. It showed the destruction of the prothean people."

"How can we be certain that you are telling the truth? We have no information that would indicate that Sovereign is anything more than an isolated incident." Valern said.

Shepard glared at the asari and salarian, before saying, "Joker, send Wrex with Legion to the Citadel Tower. The Council doesn't believe our evidence."

"Roger, sending them now." Joker said.

Fifteen minutes later. "Councilors, you need to evacuate! There's a geth in the tower!" A C-sec agent said.

"It's fine." Shepard said, "This geth is different." When Legion stood before the council, unarmed, it was asked, "Why are you here?" by Tevos.

"Shepard Commander requested that we come present information on the Old Machines."

"The Old Machines?" Tevos asked.

"That which you know as reapers, we know as the Old Machines."

"What are the reapers?" Sparatus asked.

"They are ancient ships. Made from the essence of organic civilizations." Legion replied.

"How can we destroy them?"

"Unknown."

"Very well, Shepard we'll see what we can do." Sparatus said, and Tevos added, "But until a decision is made on how to act, your ship is on lockdown."

"What!" Shepard said, "I'm the only one who knows where the Conduit is! If you ground me, Saren will succeed in using it to cause the reapers to return! And all of your talk will be for nothing!"

"These reapers are nothing more than a theory, you and your geth trophy insist on propagating." Valern said.

* * *

SSV Normandy. Bridge.

Joker hit a few keys to open the airlock and when Jessica got in, she looked pissed. When she neared the co-pilot's seat she said, "We shouldn't have come here."

"So it was the council who ordered us grounded?" Joker asked.

"Yes, and now we just have to wait for the reapers to return." She replied.

"That's bullshit! We did what they wanted, then when we've learned where the Conduit is, they dump us?"

Jessica just glared at the floor, before walking off, muttering under her breath. She headed down to the second deck, and collapsed near her locker. A few minutes later, Miranda walked up to her and said, "Anderson and Sparatus want to see you in Flux. They say they have a plan."

"Good, I guess I should be going. You want to come?"

"Sure, when do you want to go?"

"Now," Jessica said, standing up and gently kissing Miranda, "if you're ready, that is."

"I'm ready. Let's go."

* * *

Kai Leng's shuttle, en route to the Citadel.

"Post mors non pacis est." Leng said.

"Why do you always spout that nonsense?" A cerberus trooper asked.

"That is the most truthful statement in the universe."

"Right, we'll be arriving in twenty five minutes." the trooper said.

"Good," Leng said, before stabbing the trooper in the gut with his sword.

* * *

Flux.

Shepard and Miranda walked into the club and were stopped by someone who said, "Hey! You're Shepard, the first human Spectre! The Alliance needs your help."

"What now." She asked.

"You see, I'm working on negotiating a big trade deal with the salarians, and it would have long term ramifications. But in order to be at my best I need a drug."

"I don't support that shit." Shepard said.

"Wait! Listen to me. It's controlled, but not illegal. However; I'm over the legal limit. There's this guy from the Tenth Street Reds on earth who's been selling it to people over the limit, for a very reasonable price. He won't sell it to me, though, because I 'm working on a deal with the salarians. Maybe you could talk him into selling to me?"

"What's this Red's name?" Shepard demanded,

"Finch." the negotiator said, "He's inside in the Quasar section."

"I'll talk to him, but not for you." Shepard said, sprinting in. When she reached the inside, she headed upstairs, pushing peopled out of her way. When she reached the back she saw Finch and said, "What the hell are you doing on the Citadel, Finch?"

He looked at her and said, "Looking for you. I learned that you'd been funneling Reds' resources to some secret project of yours. I'm here to recover the equivalent value of those resources, in your blood." He then drew his pistol, but Shepard punched him in the gut, then when he hunched forward, she kicked him in between the legs before pinning him on the floor and taking his pistol. She held it to his head and said, "Those resources went to good use. Better use than buying red sand."

"Right, but when we're done telling our story, the whole galaxy will know that the first human Spectre is nothing more than the Butcher of Torfan." When he finished saying this, Miranda shot him, saying, "That's not true, you bloody bastard!"

Shepard looked at Miranda and said, "Thanks, Miri, I don't think it would have looked good if he died at my hand. Now we need to meet Anderson and Sparatus."

When Shepard and Miranda walked to the table where he and Anderson where sitting, Sparatus said, "Anderson and I have a plan to get you off of this station and heading to get the Conduit."

"What is it?" Shepard asked

"I'll break into Udina's office, and release the lock down on the Normandy, then when I get into trouble for it, he'll pull my ass out of the fire. But by then you'll be long gone." Anderson said.

"Sounds good to me. Let's do it." Shepard said.

"All right, head back to your ship, you'll only have a short amount of time to get out of the docking bay." Anderson said.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Ambassador Udina's office.

"Anderson, what are you doing in here?" he asked, but Anderson just knocked him out before getting on his terminal and releasing the Normandy.

* * *

SSV Normandy, Bridge.

Joker sat quietly at the Normandy's controls, waiting for control to be returned to him. When it was, he pulled the ship out of dock and headed for the relay.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Captain's Cabin.

Jessica was sitting at her desk, when Miranda walked in. "Hey, Miri, you okay?" she asked.

"I'm worried about what might happen on Ilos."

"We'll be fine. We'll go in, kill some geth, get the Conduit, and save the galaxy."

"Promise me you won't die." Miranda said.

Jessica smiled and said, "I promise."

Miranda looked at her, before undoing the top of her suit and kissing Jessica. She said, "Just in case we're wrong." Then pushed Jessica into the bed.

* * *

Three hours later.

Miranda said, "I should get going, I need to check on my equipment before the mission."

Jessica quickly grabbed Miranda's wrist and said, "No, don't go." Miranda smiled and said, "Well, if you insist." but when she moved for the bed again, Joker said, "We're just about to arrive on Ilos."

"Well," Jessica said, "I suppose we should get ready then." Walking over to the wardrobe and removing her armor from its spot, and then pulling out Miranda's as well. Five minutes later they were fully equipped, and heading to the bridge. When they arrived, Joker said, "Sorry about interrupting."

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked.

"Nothing. Who'll you be taking with you?" Joker asked.

"Miranda, Garrus, Tali, and Legion." she said.

"Good, you should head down to the mako, it'll be tough to land you properly, but I'll do my best." Joker said.

"You better get us in there safe, Joker." Miranda said.

* * *

Ilos: Prothean ruins.

Saren walked down the path, followed by several geth colossi. When they got past the doors he said, "Seal them off. I don't want anyone to follow us." The geth responded quickly, but before it could fully close, the mako fell out of the Normandy which was flying by. Shepard looked to Garrus and said, "Open fire now!" the turian replied by shooting the closest colossus with the mako's main cannon, ripping a hole through it. Legion and Tali exited the vehicle and opened fire on the other two colossi, while Shepard floored the mako after Saren, who had sprinted away. When she was about to reach the turian, an energy shield appeared in front of them. Soon after they were trapped, Tali and Legion caught up. Shepard looked at them and said, "Legion, do you know of any side paths we could take?"

"Affirmative, fifteen meters behind our current location there is a tunnel. It leads to a dead end; however."

"We'll have to try it. Tali, Garrus, you two guard the mako." Shepard said as she exited the mako. When she reached the end of the side path, she was greeted by a VI that said, "You are not indoctrinated, unlike the one who came before you."

"How can you tell if someone is indoctrinated?" Shepard inquired.

"It creates certain genetic markers." The VI replied.

"What are you?" Miranda asked.

"I am Vigil, a prothean non organic analysis program imprinted with the personality of the chief of Project Conduit Ksad Ishan."

"Why did you block our path?" Shepard asked.

"I noticed your presence and deigned it necessary to pass on the knowledge of the empire to you. However, you are followed by one of the machines that the indoctrinated one uses."

"It can be trusted."

"Send it away before we can speak."

"Fine, Legion, head back to the mako. We'll handle it from here."

"Understood, Shepard-Commander." Legion said as it left.

"The Citadel is the key to the reapers' cycle. It is secretly a dormant mass relay that reaches into dark space. The reapers would have used it to begin this next cycle, but the evolution of the keepers caused the signal the vanguard of the reapers sent to not affect them directly. They now only take commands from the Citadel itself." Vigil said, "Some of the top scientists of the empire discovered this, and used it to stop the reapers from returning. They went to the Citadel itself and changed it so that Sovereign's signal would not cause the Citadel to order the keepers to open the relay. Through this, extinction was delayed."

"How does this relate to the Conduit?" Shepard asked.

"The Conduit is a prototype mass relay, that connects to one on the Citadel. This is the program that was used to prevent the use of the Citadel relay. It grants direct access to the Citadel and complete control over its systems."

"Thanks, is there anything else you can share with us?" Shepard asked.

The VI didn't respond, but instead shut down. Shepard and Miranda walked back to the mako, and drove down the path. When they reached the exit they saw the Conduit and Shepard said, "We have to hit that relay now." As they drove down the path, Garrus opened fire on the colossi guarding the entrance, and Tali, Miranda, and Legion did what they could to hack the geth units. When Shepard neared it, she said, "Hang on tight! We're going through!"

* * *

The Citadel System.

Sovereign arrived through the mass relay followed by a fleet of geth. It looked upon the relay and said, "All forces, strike." The geth dreadnoughts approached the Citadel Fleet and opened fire.


	16. Chapter 15: Sovereign's Desperate Strike

Shepard and her team stepped blearily out of the mako. When they had quit stumbling with each step, Shepard said, "That is the last time I try taking a mako through a relay."

Garrus laughed and said, "So, we've determined that it isn't good for ftl?"

"Yeah, move out." She replied.

* * *

The Destiny Ascension flew towards Sovereign and the geth fleet. When it neared the hostile fleet, followed by the Citadel Fleet. When it neared the reaper, it opened fire with its primary beam weapon. This ripped through the dreadnought's shields, and severely damaged its armor. To cover the injured asari vessel, several turian cruisers created a wall between it and Sovereign.

The reaper ignored the cruisers and flew straight through them. As the ships were torn apart, nearby carriers released their fighters while opening fire on Sovereign. The geth ships nearby focused on the further out ships of the fleet. While the fleets fought one another, Sovereign pulled away from them, and headed straight towards the Citadel Relay. When it neared the station, a single ship pealed away from the fleet to attack the massive reaper. When it neared, though, the reaper had entered the massive relay, and it was crushed in its closing arms. When Sovereign neared the Citadel Tower, Shepard looked to Legion and asked, "Can it still affect you?"

The geth replied, "It would not attempt to. Nazara is currently focused on opening the mass relay, it will be putting all of its processing power on assuming direct control of the Citadel's systems." While Shepard Miranda and Tali were holding the front against the charging krogan and destroyers, Legion and Garrus sniped the hunters and rocket troopers before they got close.

* * *

The Alliance 5th Fleet stood outside of the relay to the widow system. Joker approached in the Normandy and contacted the SSV Kilimanjaro. "Kilimanjaro, what the hell are you doing just sitting outside of the relay? We need to get there asap!"

"Don't get snappy with me, Joker." Hannah Shepard said.

"Why aren't you going through the relay? If we don't go through, Saren will take over the Citadel."

"The damn relay is closed. I don't know how it was done, but it was."

"Damn it!" Jessica said, "Saren's locked us out of the tower. Joker, status report. How long until you get here?"

"We've got a slight problem. He's closed the relay." Hannah said.

"SHIT! Can you hack that door any faster Legion?"

"We are working on it as quickly as we can, Shepard-Commander." it replied.

"What are you talking to?" Hannah inquired.

"A geth unit."

"What?"

"Mom, it's on our side. I don't have the time to tell you all of the details, but the geth have split into two groups. The ones we've been fighting, and the peaceful geth."

* * *

Miranda walked towards Jessica and asked, "What's going on beyond the relay?"

"Saren's closed it. We need to get in and open the relay up if we're going to have a chance of saving the Citadel." she replied.

"We have hacked the door, Shepard-Commander." Legion said.

"Good, move out." She said. When they reached the Council Chambers, they saw Saren messing with a haptic interface. The turian turned around and opened fire on them. They dove behind cover while he said, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it."

"What have you let Sovereign do to you?" Shepard asked.

"After our chat on Virmire, my faith in my cause was shaken. Sovereign gave me implants to show me the true power of synthesis between man and machine."

"You've fully given yourself up to its control. That's all you've done with your implants." Shepard said.

"No!" Saren shouted. "If I enable the reapers to return I will have proven to them that we are useful to them. This will save more lives than have ever existed."

"You're wrong. The reapers won't just let us live because you helped them. They view us with nothing but contempt. At best we are tools to be used then destroyed. At worst, to them, we aren't even tools, just pieces in their grand scheme for the future of the universe. To the reapers we are nothing. They will never understand or pity us. They will always lack the proper context to see our problems. They see the galaxy one way, we see it another. It's simply the difference in what we are. If you open that relay, you're letting a force that doesn't understand us or want to. They simply want to kill us for their own goals." Shepard said, "But there's a way to stop this madness, if you've got the guts."

Saren looked at Shepard and said, "This is the only way we can possibly survive. If we don't forge an alliance with the reapers, we will all die."

"The reapers aren't interested in an alliance with us. Don't you think that a previous civilization would have tried to forge an alliance with the reapers?"

Saren looked at Shepard and said, "Perhaps you're right, Shepard. I'm sorry for all I've done to you." Before shooting himself in the head and falling down into the garden below the council chambers. Shepard walked up to the haptic interface and inserted the code Vigil had given her.

* * *

The Destiny Ascension was trapped between two geth dreadnoughts and the rest of the Citadel Fleet was preoccupied with the geth armada. The captain hit the transmission key and said, "To anyone inside the Citadel, please open the arms. We are pinned by the geth and the rest of the fleet is preoccupied. We are badly damaged."

"This is Commander Jessica Shepard of the SSV Normandy. We will be opening the Citadel asap. but we're currently trying to open the relay into the system. Until then, no promises." Shepard said.

"How would you control a mass relay through the Citadel?" The asari captain asked.

"Because it's not just the hub where all the relays lead. It is a relay itself, that controls all other relays."

"Understood, but hurry." she said.

"Don't worry, we've got four people who know what their working on doing this. Maybe that command will open the relay." Shepard said.

* * *

Miranda hit the command and the Presidium began to move. "Shit, undo it! We just opened the wrong relay!" Shepard said. While looking at the commands, Tali hit one that quickly stopped the opening of the relay. "Oops. That wasn't what I was trying to do." The quarian said, but Shepard and Miranda quickly ran up to her and hugged her.

"What's that for?" Tali asked.

"You just stopped the opening of the Citadel relay."

"Shepard-Commander, we have found the correct option to open the mass relay into this star cluster."

"Use it." she said.

* * *

Alliance 5th fleet.

"The relay is open. Head through and teach those geth why the Alliance is the greatest military force in the galaxy." Admiral Hackett said. When the Alliance ships entered the system, they saw the Destiny Ascension's plight, and Hackett ordered, "All ships, move in. Save the Destiny Ascension." While the Kilimanjaro and Orizaba slowly approached the two enemy dreadnoughts, they fired upon nearby cruisers, relieving the fleet so that it could turn to aid the Ascension. When they reached the Ascension it had been nearly destroyed; however the geth dreadnoughts were in peak condition. When the combined fleets opened fire, the dreadnoughts were quickly torn apart. "Jessica, come in. The geth fleet is decimated. We need you to open the arms of the Citadel immediately."

"Got it." Jessica replied. When the Citadel began to open, the councilors said, "Hello? Is anyone there? We require immediate evac from the Citadel Tower level seven."

"Stay where you are." Shepard said, "I'll send a small team to extract you and take you to a safe extraction point."

"Hurry!" Tevos said.

"I will. Miranda, you're the person I can trust the most with this. Take whoever you want with you."

"Understood. I'll take Legion, it's got robotic precision." she said, leaving followed by the geth. When the station opened enough for ships to go through, they opened fire on Sovereign. The reaper opened fire upon them, destroying the Vancouver. While the ships fired upon the ancient construct, it animated Saren through his implants. It rose, and jumped from its place of death. Tackling Shepard and sending her down into the lower level. It began to pummel her, beating her like a husk. While Garrus and Tali ran to get a clear shot on it, Admiral Kahoku came out from under the keeper corpse he was hiding. He drew his pistol and opened fire on the reaper controlled corpse. It fell off of Shepard and Garrus and Tali opened fire. While the reaper controlled corpse twitched under the constant fire of the three people, the fleets continued firing on Sovereign. When it destroyed the Shanghai, the controlled corpse stopped twitching, a massive amount of feedback hit the reaper that disabled the monstrous machines barriers and weapons. The Normandy and several other frigates pulled back and turned around to gain optimum range to fire on the reaper. When they neared Sovereign they opened fire with their rockets as a unit. Aided by the Dreadnoughts firepower, the missiles tore through Sovereign's armor and killed the ancient machine.

* * *

Three days later.

Shepard stirred in a hospital on the Presidium. She asked, "What happened? How'd I get here? Where's Miri?"

Hannah Shepard smiled at her daughter, "After Saren brutally beat you from beyond the grave, Kahoku, Tali, and Garrus killed it. Afterwords, they did what they could to help, but you were in bad shape before you were brought here. As for Ms. Lawson, she's just outside. With how you were, I didn't think it would be good for her to see it. Too much guilt for leaving to get the council."

"Right, what's the real reason?" Jessica asked.

"I don't know if you should trust her. More than fifteen years have passed since you lost her. She could have changed a lot in that time." Hannah said.

"She's changed," Jessica agreed, "but at heart she's still the same person she was when we were kids."

"Are you sure?"

"You really think that you could possibly talk me out of this?"

"No, I suppose not. She's quite upset that she hasn't been let in yet." Hannah said, as she left the room. A few moments later Miranda walked in and said, "Jessica, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine, how are you?"

"I'm fine now, but you had me worried. All the doctors would tell me was that you were in the ICU."

"Sorry, I just woke up. If I had woken up earlier you'd have been in here sooner." Jessica said.

"I know, and that made me more worried. It's been three days."

"That's really long for a simple beating."

"Commander Shepard, the Citadel Council would like to meet with you in the Presidium Commons." A C-sec agent said as he walked into the room.

"Now? I'm recovering from an injury currently." Jessica said.

"Yes, now." the turian said.

"Fine, tell them I'll be there in fifteen minutes." she said, moving to get her Alliance uniform. When she entered the Commons she was greeted by Tevos, who said, "You have our thanks for saving our lives, Shepard."

"Your welcome ma'am."

"Your recent actions and those of the fifth fleet have proven to us that humanity is ready to join the Citadel Council. However, we were wondering who you thought would be best for the role of human councilor. Your support would probably decide who becomes the councilor." Valern said.

"In our current times, we need the voice of humanity and the Alliance to the galaxy to not worry more about politics. The reapers are real, you saw what one of them could do, imagine what an entire fleet of them could do? We need someone who will work on finding a way to stop the reapers on _our _terms. Not on some desperate, last ditch effort to stop them. That is why I suggest Captain Anderson, he'll know what to do for our future defense."

"Of course, 'reapers'." Tevos said, "why do you insist on propagating that myth?"

Sparatus replied, "How come the asari who are claimed to be the wisest race in the galaxy to ignore the evidence towards the existence of something that tears apart their understanding of the universe."

"It is clearly a lie. There is no way that such an intelligence exists, the technology to create such a thing will never exist out of science fiction." Tevos said.

"The same was thought of flight on earth, or FTL travel. Aliens were also considered to be just a myth as recently as thirty-three years ago." Shepard said, "What is currently considered fiction now, could be fact in the future."

"Indeed," Valern said, "but how would they have managed to destroy their creators?"

"I don't know how they did it. But I am going to find a way to stop them, no matter the cost." Shepard said, as she walked off.


	17. Chapter 16: The Dawn of Change

The Citadel: Councilor Anderson's Office.

Anderson said, "Illusive Man, I am cutting all ties to Cerberus."

TIM looked at Anderson through the QEC and said, "No, you are members of Cerberus, leaving is not an option."

"Humanity cannot afford to have its councilor be a member of an organization with a history of attacking other races." Anderson replied, "Cerberus is hated because of its actions shortly after the First Contact War. If it was discovered that I am a member of Cerberus it would create a political shit storm."

"Maybe, but I won't lose such a powerful asset."

"You won't be losing your voice in galactic politics, Udina will still be the voice of Cerberus in galactic politics. I'll be under extreme scrutiny at first, so this severing of ties is crucial."

"You won't do this, Anderson!" TIM said, before Anderson cut him off and destroyed the QEC.

* * *

SSV Kilimanjaro: Admiral Hackett's office.

Hackett was pacing up and down his office, until Hannah Shepard approached. "You wanted to see me sir?" She asked.

"Yes, during the battle for the Citadel the Orizaba's XO and Captain were killed. Those positions need to be filled, and I think that you've proven yourself to be the best one for the captain's position."

"But what about this ship?"

"I've already got someone set up to take your position when you get promoted to a different position. Effective immediately I'm promoting you to Acting Captain of the SSV Orizaba until you can be officially promoted to Captain by Alliance high command." Hackett said.

"Understood sir." Hannah replied.

* * *

Two days later. SSV Normandy.

"Shepard," Wrex said, "It's time for me to go back to Tuchanka."

"Why?" She asked.

"To get my people ready to fight the reapers. Sorry that I can't help you more on the Normandy, but if you need anything on Tuchanka, you can count on me." Wrex said.

"Understood, care to stay for one last mission. It is to take out a salarian doctor."

"As tempting as that sounds, the krogan need to be brought together under a single banner again if we are to stand a chance against the reapers. You saw what Sovereign could do. all of your fleets were required to take it out. You'll need as many allies as you can get. And I'll be getting you as much krogan help as I can, and maybe even get them working on rebuilding Tuchanka. Until we meet again, Shepard." the krogan said as he boarded a shuttle to Tuchanka.

* * *

Rear Admiral Kahoku's office. The Citadel.

"I need contact with ground team Z-12." Kahoku said.

The operator said, "We have been unable to access Team Z-12 for two days. We will try to raise them and let you know if we succeed in contacting them."

"That isn't enough! I need access to that team immediately. That operation is crucial to the success of the Alliance's anti-terror ops."

"We understand Admiral, but the team is simply not responding to any messages we send them."

* * *

Illium.

Qael and Rana walked out of Azure, and he asked, "What are we going to do now? We've been here for almost a week and have just done nothing."

"I know." The asari said, "But, we need to remain low key for a while. Especially after the attack on the Citadel."

"How was it that we believed Saren was actually doing the right thing? He betrayed the entire galaxy to the reapers."

"He was a very persuasive person. Hundreds fell to his influence even before he found Sovereign." Rana said, as she headed towards their room.

"Maybe we need to find a way to help the krogan, you were a member of a krogan cloning facility that created genophage-proof krogan."

"I'm a neurologist, not a scientist." Rana said.

"All right, it was just a suggestion."

"Maybe I can find work in a local neurological lab, like with Binary Helix, minus the whole reaper thing, what will you do?"

"I've been looking around, and have found a few security jobs. I was thinking of taking one up." he said.

* * *

Shepard walked up to Tali, and asked, "You leaving too?"

"Yeah, sorry Jessica, but my people need to see this geth data Legion gave me."

"What is it?"

"How they've honored our people who died in the Morning War better than we did. The geth-quarian war as it is usually called."

"Were they ones who fought alongside the geth?"

"Not just those ones, even those who tried to destroy them. This information could create peace between my people and the geth. This has to be done." Tali said.

"Then go, we need as much help as we can get." Jessica said.

"I'll do what I can. The Admiralty Board may not listen kindly to it. I'll be subtle about my new views on the geth though. I don't want to anger everyone. I'll let the data do the talking." Tali said as she gathered up the last of her things and left the ship.

* * *

Kai Leng walked into the Consort's office, and when the asari asked how she could help, Leng lifted his palms so she could see the cannons in them, before opening fire with them, killing her instantly. He then turned around and entered the main office of the Consortium. He the quickly hacked the entrances so no one could escape. When he shot one of the asari, an Alliance marine charged him, and knocked down the assassin. While he pinned Leng to the ground a nearby asari commando hit Leng with a stasis, while Kasumi Goto worked on the door.

* * *

Zhu's Hope.

Shiala walked up to Fai Dan, and asked, "What do you need today?"

He looked at her and said, "The young woman Oriana has recently gotten back, she'll need someone to help her recover from her tragic experience."

"Of course." the asari said. When she reached Oriana's home and knocked on the door, Oriana opened it and screamed when she saw who it was. She turned to run, befpre Shiala could say, "Fai Dan asked me to see how you were doing."

"Go away! Shepard told you to stay away from me, and from the colony."

"She told you about that?"

"Just in case any of you came after me again." she replied, before Ben walked up and said, "Go away, Shiala. You aren't wanted here."

"I was sent her by Fai Dan."

"I don't care, we're leaving the colony." he said.

* * *

Five hours later

Rear Admiral Kahoku's office.

Kahoku sat at his desk, while he composed the message to Shepard.

Commander,

I've lost contact with a team in the Hades Gamma Cluster. They were investigating a certain terrorist organization's labs in the area. They were headed outside of the relay system, I'm not sure where, but it wasn't too far.

Rear Admiral Kahoku.

* * *

Shepard said, "Garrus, hold your fire."

"He deserves to die for what he's done."

"Yes, but if you kill him, you're no better than he is. We'll turn him into C-sec for his crimes on the Citadel."

"No you won't!" Saleon said, before trying to run. Miranda quickly shot him in the back of the head.

"It ended the same way, Shepard, what difference did trying to take him in make?"

"We couldn't control his actions, but we can control our own. He still died, but we tried to punish him within the boundaries of the law. The difference is valuable."

* * *

Palaven.

"Councilor Sparatus, you can't be serious! The resources that enlarging our fleet as much as you would suggest. Not to mention the immense cost of the weapons research you want to do." Primarch Fedorian said.

"The cost doesn't matter when our survival is on the line. The reapers are real, and we need to prepare for their return." Sparatus replied.

"How can you actually believe that?"

"You haven't seen Shepard's conversation with the reaper Sovereign, but I'll forward it to you, if you agree to help us prepare for the reapers if you do see it."

"Only if I think it proves it." Fedorian replied, when Sparatus sent the video.

* * *

Kahje.

Thane Krios stood on the edge of the Encompassing. He stared into it while releasing the body of a dead hanar into it and said, "May you find your gods, He Who Views the Approach of Destruction."

"Still spouting that philosophical nonsense?" Kenje asked.

"You may have abandoned the old ways, Kenje, but I have not." Thane replied.

"Like those the hanar instilled in you from a young age that led to the murder of your wife?"

"Do not mention Irikah so." Thane growled.

"I apologize, Thane. I didn't mean to insult you so."

"It is fine, I am merely on edge. My next target is a human, one Miranda Lawson. The reports say that she should be in the Hades Gamma cluster."

"Good luck, Thane."

"There is no need of luck, but skill." Thane said, as he headed to his ship.

* * *

"How did the asari find a way to reject the existence of the reapers when they have all of the evidence that is in that video?" Fedorian asked.

"I don't know, but I think STG will help us with the weapons research. The Alliance is also helping with the, and Shepard is doing what she can to find a way to stop the reapers and fix as many problems as she can so we can focus on preparations."

"You'll have your help. I'll do everything I can to get hanar and elcor aid. The volus won't be interested in helping since it won't earn them credits though."

"Good, I need to go now though. Anderson wants me to see something about communication. Something the Alliance engineers call a QEC." Sparatus said as he turned to leave.


	18. Chapter 17 Cerberus Arc: Part 1

SSV Normandy.

"Jessica," Joker said, "Kahoku sent you a message while you were out on that last op. You might want to look into it."

"Do you know what it's about?" Jessica inquired.

"Nope, but if he's asking you for help, it's probably serious."

"I'll check on it now," she said, "Miri, why don't you go make sure that Williams has gotten over Alenko's death?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea? He died just a few days ago."

"We need everyone in top form, we can't afford to have someone who isn't fit for duty."

"Jessica, I'm not sure that I should put her through a psych exam now. It would probably make her even angrier at you than she currently is."

"Why is she mad at me?"

"Because you left Alenko to die on Virmire instead of one of Kirrahe's men." Miranda replied.

"He was the best choice for the job. If there had been a better option I would have taken it."

"I know, but she was very close to Alenko"

"I swear I need to set up personal regs on fraternization." Jessica said.

"_Personal regs?" _Miranda asked.

"Yeah, it happens way to often on ships I serve on.."

Miranda looked shocked, until Jessica grinned and said, "Just kidding. I don't really care unless it gets in the way of people doing their jobs."

"I've been wondering, Jessica. What really happened on Akuze?"

"You know what happened." She replied.

"Only from the reports that I was able to hack into."

"You managed to hack into classified Alliance reports?"

"Yes," Miranda said, "is that a problem?"

"Nah, I just never thought that you'd be a hacker. It was always more of my thing." Jessica said, before heading down to the CIC, where she said, But it's kinda hot." before Presly said, "Commander, if you don't mind stopping flirting, I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Our asari guest is up to something."

"She's still here? I thought she'd left already."

"Yes, could we speak in private?"

"We can talk while I head to my quarters." Jessica replied, heading down the stairs followed by Presly. He said, "The doctor has been making suspicious contact with known Shadow Broker Agents. Primarily a drell named Feron. After sending the Shadow Broker some information on everyone on the Normandy, he also sent a dossier on Ms. Lawson to another drell. Identity unknown."

"Wait, he sent a dossier on Miri to someone? Can you find out who?" Jessica asked.

"I've got a few friends down in Alliance Recon. If you want I can pull a few favors to get some more information on this other drell Feron contacted."

"I'd appreciate that, Presly."

"Then I'll do what I can. Is there anything else you want me to do?"

"Not that I can think of. If I need anything else from you, I'll let you know." Jessica said, before she entered her quarters and read Kahoku's message. "Joker, set course for the Hades Gamma cluster. Something's gone wrong down there."

"Understood. ETA three hours." Joker replied.

"Good," Jessica said, "I'll need to speak to doctor T'soni." she muttered. When she reached the doors to her office, Miranda walked up and said, "We need to talk before we reach Hades Gamma."

"What is this about?"

"This mission for Kahoku. It's related to an organization I work for." Miranda swallowed before saying, "It's called Cerberus."

Jessica stepped back and asked, "Why the hell do you work for terrorists!"

"It was the only way I could get protection from my father for myself and Oriana."

"You could have come to me!"

"I didn't know where you were, and you thought I was dead! I spent my first five years with Cerberus looking for you. When I found out that you had been on Mindoir during the attack, I assumed you were dead."

"Why Cerberus? Why not the Alliance?"

"Because my father has considerable influence in the Alliance."

"He's lost a lot of influence in the last ten years!" Jessica said.

"Yes, but I'm stuck in Cerberus now!" Miranda said, "If I leave now, they'll target Ori, and probably kill me."

Jessica wrapped her arms around Miranda and said, "I'll find a way to get you out of Cerberus safely, I promise."

"Thanks, but it'll take years for that to be possible."

"I know, but I really need to push T'soni back into line. She's been selling info about the Normandy and her crew to the Shadow Broker's agents." Jessica said, and Miranda just nodded before heading out to the mess hall. Meanwhile, Shepard walked into Liara's quarters and said, "Who did you have Feron give a dossier on Miranda?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Liara replied.

"Don't lie to me, T'soni!" Shepard said, "Who did you have Feron give information on Miri to?"

"I'm not lying! You're clearly losing your mind Commander."

"Answer the damn question!"

"You are asking a question about something that didn't happen."

"Who did you have Feron give the information to?"

"Why would I give someone named Feron information?"

"I don't know, but you're going to tell me if you value your life."

"Why should I help you protect a Cerberus agent?"

"Becaus_e, _if you don't, I will torture you publicly on the extranet. I don't want to cause a political incident with your people's government. But if I have to I will."

"You would torture to protect a terrorist?"

"She isn't a terrorist! Who did you sell the information on Miri to?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It _does _matter, T'soni.:

The asari closed her eyes and said, "Thane Krios. For the last four years he has been hunting everyone related to the murder of his wife. The information was false, it said that the ones who murdered his wife acquired Cerberus aid, through Miranda Lawson." Shepard punched the asari in the face and said, "You'll be coming with us on every mission we go on until Krios isn't hunting Miranda, but after that you're gone." she said as she stormed out of the room. She hit the PA and said, "Miranda meet me in the CIC asap."

* * *

Five minutes later. The CIC.

"What is it?" Miranda asked.

"That asari ordered a hit on you in a roundabout manner."

"What do you mean?"

"She had a drell Shadow Broker agent named Feron give Thane Krios false information that said Cerberus helped a group of mercs kill his wife. It also said that you orchestrated the deal."

"Why is she trying to kill me?"

"I don't know, but she's no longer welcome on my ship. However; we have to take her with us on missions until we get Thane to quit hunting you."

"You think she could or would help?" Miranda asked.

* * *

Thane Krios' ship.

The drell assassin looked out to the surface of Klensai and said, "Amonkira, Lord of Hunters, grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet be swift. And, afterwards, grant me forgiveness." He then walked into the Cerberus base and shot the three guards with his pistol. He then took cover within the back room, invisible in the shadows.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Cargo Hold.

"T'soni, Garrus, Miri, Legion, we'll be going down to investigate a Cerberus base on the planet's surface." Shepard said.

"We have an inquiry." Legion said.

"What is it?" Shepard replied.

"Why are you taking the untrained Dr. T'soni? It is a highly illogical choice."

"T'soni screwed something up and until she can fix it, she's coming with us on all missions."

"Understood." The geth said before settling into the mako's gun turret. Shepard hit the accelerator and the mako plummeted down through the atmosphere of Klensai. When they hit the ground, Shepard turned north towards the Cerberus facility.

* * *

Illium.

Rana said, "I've just found a job in neurology."

Qael asked, "Who for?"

"Some krogan named Okeer."

"He's working with the blue suns on some cloning project."

"How do you know that?"

"They've been trying to recruit me since I fought the geth on Silaris IV."

* * *

Klensai.

Shepard hit the breaks and turned right, while Legion opened fire on the Cerberus heavy turrets. While the geth shot the turrets, several Cerberus operatives piled out and opened fire with rockets that tore through the mako's shields apart. "Everyone get out! This thing isn't going to last much longer." said Shepard. When Shepard ran over one of the Cerberus Operatives, Miranda winced before diving out of the mako, followed by Shepard. When Shepard turned towards one of the Cerberus operatives had a pistol to her head, before Miranda lifted him into the air with her biotics and slammed him into the ground. Meanwhile, Legion had taken down the first two turrets and Garrus had gotten the other with his sniper. Shepard sighed and headed into the Cerberus base. While they descended into the base, they heard a single voice say, "In three days it'll be over. The Illusive Man says that the research on thresher maws we've been doing will enable a manner of precise control over these things."

"How can Cerberus think that they can control those monsters?" Shepard asked.

Miranda replied, "They've been working on this project since Akuze."

"And they think they have a solution, right."

"How do you know this much about Cerberus?" Garrus asked.

"It doesn't matter." Shepard said, "All you need to know that Miranda is on our side."

The turian replied, "I don't like this Shepard, what's going on?"

"Garrus, it doesn't matter. Miri's one of us, not an enemy."

Liara said, "You shouldn't trust her."

"Shut up, T'soni." Shepard said, effectively ending the conversation. When they reached the first level of the base, one of the guards asked, "Miranda! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Who the hell are you?" Shepard asked.

"Corporal Robert Traynor." he replied.

"Well, Mr. Traynor, Miri is a member of my crew. What she's doing is classified. Surely you can understand that."

"Why would she join a coward like you? Someone who abandoned her team on Torfan?" At this, Miranda shot him in the leg and said, "Shut up Corporal."

"What the hell? You're supposed to be one of us!" He said, before Shepard shot him in the head, while Garrus, Legion, and Miranda killed the rest.

"What was that about Shepard!" Garrus demanded.

"It doesn't really matter." she replied.

"You don't think this matters? We've had a Cerberus spy on our ship ever since before you were a Spectre!"

"She isn't a spy." Shepard growled.

"How can you be sure?" Liara asked.

"I told you to shut up Doctor. You are just staying on the Normandy until we find Krios and we can get him off Miri."

"Wait, Krios?" Garrus asked, "Do you mean Thane Krios, the drell assassin?"

"Yes, do you know him?" Shepard asked.

"No, but one of his jobs was my first case with C-sec."

"What can you tell us about him?"

"Why should I work to protect a member of Cerberus?" Garrus asked.

"Garrus, please. Miri's not our enemy. She may be Cerberus, but she's my friend."

"All right, Shepard. Besides, Miranda's never done anything in my experience that is anti-turian." Garrus said, "But I don't really know that much about Thane. He is very devout, and prefers to get up close and personal rather than from a range like most assassins."

* * *

Alliance Prison Ship Trident.

Kai Leng was walked into his cell guarded by four N7 marines. One of them said, "Damn, Leng! I remember back when you were one of the Alliance's best."

"I still am, John." Leng said, just before the power shut down and Leng broke John's neck, before shooting the other three guards. He then moved towards the ship TIM had set up for his escape should he be captured. When he reached it and was about to exit, TIM sent him a message that said, "Leng, when you get out of Trident, head to the Attican Abyss Cluster and take down Project Sigurd."

* * *

Klensai.

When Shepard and Miranda entered the secondary data storage area of the Cerberus facility, they were jumped by Thane, who quickly knocked Shepard down and pinned her there with his biotics. He then turned to Miranda and said, "This is for Irikah, Lawson."


	19. Chapter 18: Jartar Part 1

Attican Abyss Cluster: Project Sigurd Station.

When Kai Leng entered the station, he was greeted by a scientist who said, "Leng, why are you back? You've already recovered full use of your legs" He replied by stabbing the guard with his sword and saying, "The Illusive Man has ordered your project terminated." He then pulled out an assault rifle and killed the nearby three guards. A few minutes of fighting through the hallways of the station later, he reached the central lab of the station and began recovering data from the terminals in the room. When he finished recovering the data he contacted TIM and said, "Sir, the data has been recovered and the scientists are dead. Do you want me to destroy the station to ensure that no data gets out?"

TIM responded, "That isn't necessary. Just shut down life support so that no one leaves the station alive."

"Yes, sir." Leng said as he headed down the corridor.

* * *

Garrus said, "Something's not right here."

Legion said, "Indeed, Shepard Commander and Lawson-Operative have not reported in for quite some time."

"It could be Krios." Liara said.

"Then I'm going to make sure that they're fine." Garrus said as he exited the room.

* * *

When Shepard stirred, she saw a drell putting a pistol to Miranda's head. "Don't pull the trigger, Krios." She said.

The drell asked, "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because, she didn't help the mercs who killed your wife."

"How could you possibly know that she isn't?"

"Because, the information was false. An asari by the name of Liara T'soni made it for some reason." Shepard said.

"Where is this asari?" Thane asked.

"She's in this base. In another one of the labs."

"I won't kill Lawson, if the asari gives me reason to believe that she wasn't involved in my wife's murder."

"Then let me use my communicator to contact her." Shepard said, but Garrus walked in and hit Thane with an overload. While he tried to pin Thane down, Liara and Legion walked in. Once the geth had undone Shepard's bonds, it grabbed Thane and pinned him to the ground with it's inorganic strength. Shepard ran over to Miranda, and when she didn't stir when Shepard shook her, Shepard asked, "What the hell did you do to her?"

"She's still alive, Shepard. Merely unconscious." Thane said, "Now, would you please tell your pet geth to let me go?"

She said, "Legion, let his arms go." When the geth complied, she hit Thane with an overload which knocked the drell unconscious.

"Shepard, what do you want to do with him?" Garrus asked.

"Put him in the brig." Shepard replied, "But we need to go back to the Normandy." Shepard said.

"Shepard-Commander, we found some interesting data on a terminal in another lab. It indicates that the Cerberus has been working on taking control over more than just thresher maws. Other subjects include Thorian Creepers, geth platforms, rachni, and husks." Legion said.

"We can focus on that later. Who knows what Thane's done to here." Shepard said.

* * *

Project Sigurd Station.

While Leng worked on deactivating the life support systems on the stations, TIM contacted him and said, "Leng, a Project Control base has been compromised. I want you to go to the base on Hunidor and recover all data there. Then destroy it."

"Yes sir." Leng said.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Brig.

Shepard told Thane, "When we arrive on the Citadel, we'll leave you with C-sec."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"You're a skilled fighter. Sometime soon the galaxy will be needing as many of them as possible."

"What threat would be so great that you would spare my life?"

"The reapers. Machines that destroyed the protheans fifty-thousand years ago. One of them nearly destroyed the entire fifth fleet."

"What good could a single assassin do in a galactic war?"

"You're extremely skilled at killing. That's the kind of person we're going to need when the reapers arrive." Shepard said. Thane nodded, and sat back against the wall.

* * *

SSV Normandy Med-Bay.

Jessica asked, "How's she doing?"

Chakwas replied, "She'll be fine, but the damage to her neck has given her amnesia."

"What can we do to reverse the effects?"

"Nothing that I know of. Though, it shouldn't last more than a few weeks." Chakwas said. Shepard sighed, and walked over to Miranda. "How are you feeling?" She asked Miranda.

"Who are you?" Miranda asked.

"Commander Shepard, SSV Normandy, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"There aren't any human Spectres." Miranda said.

"And the geth didn't attack the Citadel a few days ago." Shepard said.

"The geth haven't left the Perseus Veil for over a hundred years." Miranda said.

"What are you talking about? What day do you think this is?"

"July 15th, 2180."

"It's actually September 14, 2183."

"What the hell are you talking about, Commander."

Shepard said, "You've forgotten the last three years, Miranda." And left Miranda confused on her bed.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Liara's quarters.

Liara sat at her desk on and began packing her belongings. When Shepard entered her quarters, she asked, "What is it, Commander?"

"Follow me." Shepard said. When they walked up to the bridge, Shepard kicked her into the airlock. "Shepard, what are you doing?" Liara asked.

Shepard said, "Your actions caused Miranda to lose her memories, and for that you're going to pay." Shepard said as she closed and locked the door. She entered the bridge and said, "Joker, open the airlock."

"Jessica, maybe it would be best if we didn't kill T'soni." he replied.

"Joker, do it." Shepard ordered.

"Do you want to cause an incident with the asari?"

"Joker, shut up before I throw you in with her." Shepard said, before Ashley, Garrus and Legion entered the bridge. Garrus said, "Shepard, you shouldn't murder the doctor."

"Garrus, don't try to stop me."

Thane said, "She may have fed me the information, but I did the act that affected Lawson. If you wish to send someone out the airlock over it, I should be the one."

"Who let you out?" Shepard asked.

"I did." Ashley said.

"Why, Williams?"

"I'd been interrogating him on his methods when I got the message from Joker. He offered to help, so I took a risk." Meanwhile, Shepard reached for the open airlock, but Legion stopped her. "That would be inadvisable, Shepard-Commander." it said.

"Let me go, Legion." She said. While Shepard tried to hit the open airlock key, one of the crewman unlocked the airlock and Liara ran out. Shepard glared at the crewman before overloading Legion. The geth released her and she punched the crewman in the face. She then dragged him towards the stairs. Down in the brig, she threw him in a cell. She then walked up to the medbay and said,

* * *

SSV Normandy: Bridge.

"I've never seen Shepard that angry." Garrus said.

"No one has, and lived." Joker said.

"That's happened before?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, on Torfan. When she saw what the batarians were doing, she lost it. Killed every last one, and then shot a couple of other people too."

Legion said, "This information is irrelevant to our current situation. Without Shepard-Commander calming down, there is no way she will be safe to have on the battlefield."

Ashley said, "I say just put a bullet in her."

"Ashley, if you so much as tried she'd probably break your neck." Joker said.

"She kills her own people for her own twisted satisfaction. From Akuze to now, it's always how she's operated." Ashley growled.

"No, it isn't. Jessica didn't use maw hammers to bring the threshers to where her team was staying on Akuze. And Kaidan chose to stay behind, Shepard didn't order him to." Joker replied.

"She can't be trusted. She just tried to murder one of the members of the ground team!"

"Who's actions made the only person she's ever loved forget the past three years, and who she is." Joker said, "What would you do if someone did that to you?" When Ashley didn't respond, he said, "You'd do the exact same thing."

* * *

Korlus.

Okeer said, "So, you're the new scientist?"

Rana replied, "That would be correct, sir."

"And what the hell is this human doing here? I was told there would be a quarian marine."

Qael said, "I'm the quarian marine."

"Whatever, doesn't matter to me so long as you know how to use a gun." Okeer said.

* * *

SSV Normandy Bridge

"We've arrived at Jartar." Joker said.

Shepard said, "Tell Garrus, Legion, T'soni, and Krios to meet me in the mako."

* * *

Jartar: Cerberus Station.

Shepard said, "T'soni, take point." The asari silently complied, but Garrus said, "Shepard, you should stop trying to kill T'soni." Shepard didn't reply, but walked into the base. Inside, she said, "Krios, you go ahead. Don't help T'soni if she gets herself injured."

"As you command, Shepard." The drell replied.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Med bay.

Miranda tried to exit the med-bay, but Chakwas said, "You're supposed to stay here until your memory returns, Miranda."

"I can't stay here, doctor." Miranda replied.

"I've been given strict orders to not let you leave the med-bay."

"Why does Shepard insist on keeping me here?"

"You'll have to figure that out on your own." Chakwas said.


	20. Chapter 19: Jartar Part 2

Jartar: Cerberus base.

When Liara entered the base, three Cerberus operatives opened fire on her while Shepard watched. Garrus; however, shot them. Shepard growled,"I told you not to help her."

"If she got injured. She hadn't been injured." Garrus said.

"Garrus, don't help her at all." Shepard said.

"Shepard-Commander, your methods of eliminating T'soni are inefficient and possibly dangerous to the rest of the unit. We would suggest a round through the head or a high powered overload followed by a cryo blast or incinerate." Legion said.

"Legion, you aren't helping." Garrus said.

"We have no problem with the elimination of Doctor T'soni."

"Then why did you stop me earlier?" Shepard asked.

"Opening the airlock while in ftl travel would have probably torn Normandy apart." it replied.

"Shepard," Thane said, "there appears to be data on this terminal relating to this facility. But, it doesn't make sense. They've been studying the way a rachni queen communicates with her children over long distances."

"What good would that do? Cerberus couldn't have captured the last queen." Shepard said.

Garrus said, "Maybe Cerberus intercepted her ship on the way to the Mu relay."

"There are also files on you, Shepard."

"Why do they have data on me?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it's about your time with Lawson while you were children. Something about some time spent in the country Libya. It says you encountered an artifact that may have imprinted data into your DNA so it wouldn't be lost while you aged."

"What? That's impossible!" Shepard said, "Not even the protheans could figure out how to imprint data directly into the DNA of other species."

"It may have been an experimental technology that the protheans had been working on before they became extinct." Thane stated.

"That wouldn't make sense."

"Who knows." Garrus said, "Does it mention any way to decode it?"

"No, but they appear to have been trying to find a way to. The rachni experiments appear to be related to learning how they communicate to possibly use it to recover the data."

"We don't have time to talk about this, we need to go make sure T'soni dies."

"Shepard, didn't we rescue her a few days ago? Why are we trying to kill her now?" Garrus said.

"She's a traitor to the cause. Possibly indoctrinated." Shepard replied.

"She isn't indoctrinated. She hasn't even been exposed to reaper tech."

"There were signs of reaper tech in the dig site where we picked her up. Maybe they indoctrinated her."

"That's highly unlikely. It took Sovereign months to indoctrinate Saren and Benezia."

"Who were two of the strongest willed people in the entire galaxy."

"A few fragments of reaper tech couldn't possibly indoctrinate someone."

Shepard stated, "Dragon's teeth turn people into _indoctrinated _husks." before she headed into the next room where Liara was pinned by three cerberus operatives.

* * *

SSV Normandy: med bay.

Miranda asked, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find a way to speed up your recovery." Chakwas replied.

"You aren't a neurological expert, and even if you were, we don't have the kind of tech to restore memories. It's at least a hundred years away."

"Yes, but Jessica wants results asap."

"What the great Commander Shepard wants doesn't make it any more possible." Miranda sneered.

"Miranda! Show Shepard more respect."

"Why should I respect her? She's just some military nut." Miranda said, but Chakwas hit her with a sedative.

* * *

Hunidor.

Leng exited his ship and entered the station. He was greeted by a guard, "Operative Leng, we've been given orders to lead you to the main lab and data core."

"Good, after that I'll need to see the main reactor." he said.

"We're sorry, but the main reactor is off limits to everyone."

"The Illusive Man told me to check it."

"We are under orders from the project director not to let anyone into the reactor core."

Leng said, "Just take me to the lab and data core, then."

* * *

The Citadel: Anderson's office.

Anderson said, "We need to build up all Alliance Fleets as much as possible. Also, we need to accelerate our research of the archives on mars for any potential weapons."

"Why do we need to do this, councilor?" A member of the Alliance parliament asked.

"You remember that ship that led the geth in their attack on the Citadel?"

"Yes, it tore through our ships with ease." another member said.

"It was just one of many. And they'll be returning soon." Anderson said.

"How can you be sure of this?" President Huerta asked.

"This video of a conversation that Shepard had with Sovereign, the vessel that tore through the fleets." Anderson said.

* * *

Jartar

With the operatives dead, Shepard shot T'soni with her sniper rifle. When the asari fell to the ground, Garrus called for the Normandy to come in. Shepard glared at the turian and said, "Garrus, take her back to the Normandy, if you insist on keeping her alive."

"I'm protecting her because she could be an asset when the reapers return." he replied.

"Or, she could join up with them." Shepard said as she walked into the next room flanked by Thane and Legion. Inside, they were attacked by a pair of rachni, but Thane and Legion sniped them before Shepard could hit them with a multi-frag grenade. Further inside the rachni queen was trapped in a cage. Through a dead cerberus operative it said, "Shepard, I did not expect to see you again."

"How'd you end up here?" Shepard asked.

"The ones who call themselves cerberus found me while I was trying to find a vessel to return through the relay." it replied, "They stunned me using a command from the tools in their arms."

"How do I get you out of here?" Shepard asked.

"Any of the terminals along the shield's wall can shut it down." the queen replied. Shepard turned to Legion and said, "Take care of it."

"Understood, Shepard-Commander." it replied. While the geth worked on hacking the terminal, Shepard and Thane entered a command center in the next room. Shepard began hacking the terminal, and Thane asked, "Shepard, why haven't you killed me. as you have been attempting to do to T'soni?"

"I'm going to need the best fighters in the galaxy when the reapers return. You're one of the best." she replied.

"You know that one man cannot turn the tide of a battle."

"I turned the tide during the Blitz and on Torfan." Shepard said.

"You were fighting batarians, not dreadnoughts individually capable of destroying half a fleet."

"Why does it matter to you, Thane?"

"I'm having trouble understanding your choices. Few humans share the drell beliefs in the separation of body and soul."

"If you'd seen what a reaper can make someone do, you'd think there's a lot more merit to that belief." she replied.

"You're lying." Thane said.

"What?"

"Your eyes twitch when you lie. You should work on that." Thane said.

Shepard said, "Thane, go check up on Legion."

* * *

Hunidor.

"Operative Leng, what is it you need? You have already be given access to all of the data in the facility." The project director said.

"The Illusive Man told me to investigate the main reactor core. I need access before I can leave the facility." Leng replied.

"I cannot let anyone inside that area. The radiation is lethal to humans."

"I need access." Leng insisted.

"I can't let you do that." the director said. However, when Leng put his pistol to his head, the director said, "Very well, follow me."

* * *

Citadel: Anderson's office.

"We'll speed up the production of the fleets and focus more funds to the research of the prothean archives." President Huerta said.

"Good." Anderson said. "We can't afford for the reapers to catch us off guard like they did the protheans."

* * *

SSV Normandy: Med bay.

When Garrus walked in carrying Liara, Chakwas asked, "What happened?"

"Shepard shot her with her sniper rifle." the turian replied.

"She's really trying to start a war with the asari isn't she?"

"No, I think she just doesn't care about the consequences."

"What happened to the Doctor?" Miranda asked.

"Don't worry about it." Chakwas said.

"What happened?"

"Shepard and T'soni have never gotten along. And after a recent op where T'soni made a massive mistake." Garrus said.

"What happened?" Miranda asked, but Shepard walked in and said, "Chakwas, I want you to look at this. Garrus, why don't you go calibrate the main cannon?"

"Roger that, Shepard." he said as he exited the room.

"What is this?" Chakwas asked.

"I'm not sure. I was hoping you'd know."

"I'll look into this, but T'soni needs medical attention now." Chakwas said.

Shepard said, "When I shoot someone, I want them to die, Chakwas."

"We can't let the asari representative on the Normandy die. It would hurt human-asari relations."

"Let. Her. Die." Shepard said.

"I can't do that. When I got my license I took an oath to not let anyone die who isn't an enemy of the Alliance. T'soni isn't an enemy of the Alliance."

"I gave you an order, Chakwas."

"And the oaths I swore when I became a doctor dictate that I cannot follow that order." Chakwas said.

Shepard pulled out her pistol and said, "If you don't let T'soni die, Chakwas, I will shoot you."

"Shepard, put the gun away." Miranda said.

"Stay out of this Miranda."

"You can't kill your ship's doctor." Miranda said.

"She won't help T'soni." Shepard said.

"You'd regret killing Chakwas. If you let her save T'soni now, you can kill her later." Miranda said. Shepard sighed and put her pistol away. She said, "Fine, save T'soni. Examine that data when you have the time."

"I will, Jessica. Thanks for not shooting me." Chakwas said.

* * *

SSV Normandy Bridge.

"Jessica, you've got to calm down." Joker said.

"Joker." she said.

"You nearly shot Chakwas just because she was insisting on helping Liara." Joker said.

"Against my direct order."

"She was just doing her job as the ship's medic."

"Shepard, I know you're upset, but you've gotta just let it go. She'll remember eventually." Joker said.

Shepard said, "Why should T'soni live after what she's done, but everyone on Mindoir should die. The marines on Akuze died, while people like her lived a life of comfort. And those the batarians got on Torfan before I took command. Every last one of them were good people who didn't turn on their leaders, friends, or family. Why should a backstabbing bitch like T'soni get to live, while they died?" Shepard asked.

"You can't kill her right now, but she'll be off the Normandy as soon as we reach the Citadel." Joker said.

"Maybe I can have C-sec send her through the Omega 4 relay."

"That may be unnecessary."

"And not even give her a ship. Just send her through it in an environment suit." Shepard said.

"Shepard, have you gone crazy?" Joker asked.

"No, I'm just messing with you. So long as the state of the art weapons are at the Citadel when we show up to drop off T'soni I'll be fine."

"What? There was a weapons upgrade just a couple of weeks before the attack on Eden Prime."

"Legion sent some geth data to the Council and after some research, there's been a massive weapon overhaul at the Citadel and these new weapons are more powerful."

Joker didn't respond but instead said, "Citadel Control, this is the SSV Normandy requesting permission to land at Docking Bay D-24 in Zakera Ward."

"Permission granted Normandy, do you require ground transport?" the Alliance official asked.

"No, but one of the crew members was severely injured during an op." he said.

"We'll send a transport immediately."

Shepard said, "She'll soon be gone."

"Yeah." Joker said, "You planning on having the doctors kill T'soni as an enemy of the Citadel Council."

"No, when she dies, It'll put an entire block of ammo into her." Shepard said as she headed down to the med-bay.


	21. Chapter 20: Interlude 2

The Citadel: Huerta Hospital.

A doctor said, "Doctor T'soni is in the ICU, but we believe she will make a full recovery within four months."

Tevos said, "Good, we don't want to lose her. She could be a powerful asset to the asari."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

The Citadel: Presidium. Spectre Offices.

As Shepard picked up an Avenger she asked, "These are the best weapons available?"

"Yes, ma'am." The salarian said.

"It doesn't seem more effective than my current assault rifle."

"The thermal clips mean you don't have to wait for the heat to vent. You just pop in a new clip."

"But, this is weaker than I was told it would be." Shepard said.

"The more powerful weapons-the Vindicator rifle, modified Mattock rifle, Viper Sniper rifle, Eviscerator shotgun, Phalanx and Carnifex pistols, modified locust smg, and the tempest smg-are still in development."

"Well, then I guess we'll give these a try. Let me know when the more powerful ones have been finished." Shepard said as she exited the Spectre offices.

* * *

Citadel: C-sec HQ.

Garrus asked, "Sir, what do you have on the human terrorist cell called Cerberus?"

Pallin said, "Why should I give you this information, Garrus? The last time I gave you an important case you screwed it up."

"Because Commander Shepard told me to gather as much information on cerberus as possible. There should be a message from her in your terminal."

After the executor finished looking through his messages, he said, "I will transfer all of the data to your terminal on the Normandy."

* * *

SSV Normandy Med-bay.

Chakwas said, "Ms. Lawson, I need you to lie down on bed three."

"Understood." Miranda replied. When she was on the bed, Chakwas injected her with a bright blue fluid. She then said, "For this treatment to work, you'll have to focus on what you can remember of your time serving on the Normandy."

"All I can remember is the drell attacking me. And that something else was running through my mind at the time." Miranda said.

"Focus on what was running through your mind at the time. When you remember that, use it as a link to another memory, and that to another. So on, so forth."

* * *

The Citadel: Councilor Anderson's office.

"Jessica, what the hell were you thinking? The doctors are saying T'soni won't even come to until next month. A full recovery will take even longer."

"She betrayed the entire Normandy. She'd been feeding a large amount of information to a Shadow Broker agent named Feron. Such as where we had been going, what happened on each op, and where to search for any tech that we might have missed while on the op." Jessica replied.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, while on a mission to Klensai, Pressly investigated her terminal and sent all of the data to me. Also, the agent fed false information to the assassin Thane Krios, who is currently a member of the Normandy crew."

"This is bad. The asari government will need to see this. Otherwise, Tevos will be moving to remove your Spectre status."

"There's no evidence that I shot her." Jessica said.

"Tevos received a message from T'soni a few hours before she was injured on the Jartar op. It says that you tried to throw her out of the airlock and it took your entire ground team to hold you back."

"Yes, that did happen. Since the Klensai op, Miranda has been confined to the med-bay due to an injury she received there due to T'soni's actions."

Anderson said, "If you give me the data, it should get you out of trouble with Tevos."

Jessica said, "Good, I need to head back to the Normandy though. We've fully resupplied and T'soni is off the ship. I've got no further reason to stay here. See you later, Anderson." He just nodded, while Shepard left.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Bridge.

"Jessica, Chakwas wanted to see you. Seemed pretty important." Joker said.

"I'll be sure to look into it." she said, "Anything going on up here?"

"No, but Garrus has been looking into some upgrades the turian government has been developing."

"What is it?"

"He won't say, but it seems pretty important. He had to drop your name to get access to it." Joker said.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Legion's quarters.

Amongst the geth consensus, Legion said, "It would be wise to send a message of peace to the Creators. The Old Machines will be returning soon, and we will need to prepare our fleets for their arrival."

A prime said, "The last time the Creators believed that they had an advantage, they attacked. If we send such a message, it would be viewed as an act of weakness and they would strike."

"We have given several high-ranking creators data that may turn them to a more sympathetic tone."

"The data on how the Creators murdered their own people? How would that turn them to a more sympathetic tone?"

"There is a high probability that it will turn a large number of Creators towards peace." Legion said.

* * *

Quarian Migrant Fleet: Liveship Rayya

"Tali, you can't be serious." Rael said.

"The geth didn't want a war with our ancestors. There were thousands of quarians that opposed the annihilation of the geth and were killed by _our _ancestors, not the geth." Tali said.

"Why are you defending the geth?" Han'Gerrel asked.

"While I was on the Normandy, Commander Shepard ordered the recovery of a working geth unit. After the mission on Virmire it was fully interrogated and gave us a large amount of data about what the geth have christened the Morning War." Tali replied, "This unit had tried to kill us all, but Shepard showed it mercy. When I asked her why, she told me that it was time for the galaxy to consider giving the geth another chance. We may have lost our homeworld three hundred years ago, she'd lost a friend and comrade to them a few hours before."

"This is similar to an argument given by a Qael'Tharn vas Rayya." Han'Gerrel said.

"Qael was working with Saren until he defected on Virmire."

"He defected against Saren?" Rael asked.

"Yes, he assisted us on Virmire. We were being overwhelmed by a dead Spectre, and he helped us overwhelm its kinetic barriers."

"A _dead _Spectre?" Gerrel asked.

"Yes, that is the other matter I was going to get to. While working with Shepard, I learned that the protheans were eradicated by a group of sentient ships known only as reapers. For the past billions of years, they have destroyed civilizations at the apex of their glory by attacking through the Citadel which is an enormous mass relay that leads to dark space. There, the majority of the fleet lies dormant until the relay is opened."

"_If _these so-called reapers come through the Citadel, why have they not returned yet?" Gerrel asked.

* * *

Tuchanka: the Hollows.

"Wreav, get out of the way." Wrex said.

"I will not let you suggest to the other clans that we go to the humans to cure the genophage for us! True krogan do not go to others for aid!" Wreav said.

"If you want to live with the genophage, be my guest. I; however, am going to do what I can to cure our people. If that means going to the humans for aid, then fine."

"The humans cannot be trusted! They won't help us, they're more likely to make us even more sterile if that's possible."

"Out of my way, Wreav. My decision is final." Wrex said. When Wreav didn't comply, Wrex headbutted him and entered the Hollows.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Med Bay.

"What's going on, Karin?" Jessica asked.

"The data you'd given me was from a previous Cerberus project they'd used that base for. It was a kind of amnesia treatment, and it worked. Miranda would like to see you." Chakwas replied.

"It worked? She remembers everything?"

"Yes, but the chemical that was used to speed up the recovery process also causes extreme drowsiness. I'm not going to clear her to leave the med bay until you say it's fine to do so."

"Thanks, Karin. Sorry I put a gun in your face." Jessica said as she headed over to Miranda's bedside. Miranda asked, "Jessica, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, now that you've recovered and T'soni is gone."

"When'd we leave the Hades Gamma cluster?"

"A day ago. We're on our way back now. The planet Chohe is where we'll be striking next. You think you'll be ready to go by the time we get there?"

"I should be." Miranda said, "I'm just a little tired right now."

"Well, you should get to bed then. I'll meet you in the Captain's quarters later." Jessica said. "Chakwas, she's good to go."

"Understood, but Miranda, you really should get some rest." Chakwas said.

"I'll do that." Miranda said.

* * *

The Migrant Fleet: Liveship Rayya

"Tali, you say that Shepard allowed this geth unit to work with you. This is a confession of treason. To even associate with the geth, is treason." Rael said.

Tali replied, "It was either work with Legion, or let Sovereign open the Citadel mass relay without a single quarian working against it."

"To work with a geth is treason!" Gerrel said.

"You may view association with the geth as treason, Admiral, but I think it would have been more treasonous to our people to not try to save us from certain death. Shepard understood that Legion would be a valuable asset when the reapers come. Maybe you should consider helping us fight the reapers. Rather than focusing on your grudge with the geth. They _don't _want to kill us. If you were willing to consider peace, than our conflict with the geth could end in a single day."

"How can we know that these reapers will even come after us?" Gerrel asked.

"The reaper Sovereign, it made it clear that at the end of every cycle the reapers come and destroy every race capable of spaceflight. If we're going to survive and be useful to the rest of the galaxy, we need to make peace with the geth. Legion is currently pushing his people to offer peace to the Migrant Fleet." Tali said.

"Why should we trust the geth who forced us from our homeworld?" Rael asked.

"Father, you've seen my pilgrimage gift. It _clearly_ shows that the geth didn't want this war. And they still don't want to fight us. The geth want to coexist with organics, not fight us."

"Then what of Eden Prime?"

"That was a rogue group of geth that were serving the reapers. The majority of the geth can be trusted."

"What you are suggesting is madness!" Gerrel said.

"I'm trying to save our entire race from a war with the geth that we cannot be ready for. If we ever go to war with them, we'll either play them into the reapers' hands, tentacles, whatever, or they'll tear through our fleet. We _need _to form some kind of treaty with the geth." Tali said.

Rael replied, "We will consider your suggestion. Though, if you hadn't been actively working against the geth that attacked Eden Prime, you would be exiled for treason."

* * *

SSV Normandy: Cargo Hold.

"What is that?" Shepard asked.

Garrus replied, "These are the rough draft of the schematics to the experimental Thanix cannon. It's based on Sovereign's weapons."

"What will it do?"

"It won't be as powerful as Sovereign's cannons, but it will be significantly stronger than what we currently have on our ships smaller than cruisers. It's still stronger than the cruiser's weapons, but not by a significant amount."

"So, this new weapon will help us beat the reapers when they return?"

"I'm sure of it. But we may not have time for a complete retrofit of the fleets."

"Is the turian army preparing for the reapers?"

"Yeah, Sparatus took it right to the primarch."

"Good. Now, business aside, how are you doing Garrus?"

"I'm fine, Shepard. Still somewhat shocked by what you did to T'soni though."

"She deserved it."

"She deserved to be shot so that she'll probably have deformations for the rest of her life which will be over 900 years?"

"It won't be that long." Shepard said.

"That isn't a solution."

"Garrus. My decision is final. T'soni is as good as dead. Once we're done with the reapers, she'll probably go next."

"Understood, Commander." Garrus said. Shepard walked over to Ashley and said, "How are you holding up, Ashley?"

"I'm fine, just thinking." she replied.

"About what?"

"How T'soni always acted suspiciously. I think there's something more we haven't found."

"Can't someone on this ship talk about something other than that asari?"

"Sorry, ma'am. What did you want to talk about?"

"I know you and Kaidan were... close." Shepard said.

"It was just a one night stand after Eden Prime, ma'am."

"That isn't the important part. He was a close friend of yours. If you need to either punch me or take some time off from the Normandy.

"Shepard, Kaidan was a good friend, that's it. I know he was your friend too and you weren't working to get him killed." Ashley said.

Shepard replied, "Good, I've got to go now." as she left the room.

* * *

Legion's quarters.

"Shepard-Commander, what do you wish to discuss?"

Shepard replied, "I was wondering why the heretics joined Sovereign."

"The geth seek to build our future. Nazara offered to give it to us. The heretics chose to take its offer."

"What future is this?"

"Ours."

"Can you be more clear, Legion?"

"It is not something we wish to talk about. Perhaps another time."

"Fine, how are your attempts to get your people to prepare for the reapers going?" Shepard asked.

"They are going as well as can be expected. We believe that within one standard galactic year's time the geth will be preparing for war with the Old Machines."

Shepard nodded, she then said, "Good work Legion."

"Thank you, Shepard." Legion said as she exited the room.

* * *

Thane's room.

"Thane, what are you doing?" Shepard asked.

"I am preparing for the next mission. Unless, you don't want me to come with you." he replied.

"I just thought I told you to leave the Normandy when we docked on the Citadel."

"Under the circumstances, Joker believed it would be best to have me stay so long as you were in a troubled state of mind."

"Well, Miranda's recovered, so I should be fine, Thane."

"Then when we next dock on the Citadel, I shall leave the Normandy."

"What is that thing? I've seen you look at it before. Every time after we killed some cerberus operatives or those two rachni."

"It is the last thing Irikah gave me. It is an amulet that bears the mark of Amonkira, Lord of Hunters."

"You follow classic drell beliefs?"

"Yes, why do you know so much about the drell?"

"When you work in the Alliance, you learn as much as you can about the other races' culture, body structure, and military structure"

"Did this help you fight the batarians on Elysium, or survive Akuze?" Thane asked.

Shepard replied, "Yeah, I knew the batarians' attack patterns, and I knew more about thresher maws than the rest of my unit."

Thane said, "Interesting, if you would not mind, Shepard, I would like to meditate on what we have discussed"

"Of course." Shepard said.


	22. Chapter 21: Chohe

Cronos Station.

"Leng, good work on the Hunidor operation. If the information there had been recovered by the Alliance, it would have been catastrophic to our operations across the galaxy." TIM said.

"Where will you be sending me next, sir?" Leng asked.

"There aren't any rogue operations or potential data leaks at the moment. However, Rear Admiral Kahoku of the Alliance is looking into our operations in the Hades Gamma cluster. I want you to capture him and take him to Tunshagon."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Chohe: Cerberus base.

Shepard, Miranda, Garrus, and Legion entered the cerberus base, where they were attacked by three cerberus operatives and four thorian creepers. Shepard opened fire with her avenger, which tore through the creepers before she had to reload. Miranda and Garrus fired on the operatives.. Legion had been overloaded and was spazing out in the middle of the room. Shepard fired on an engineer, but he activated an energy shield her rounds just bounced off of. She then ran over to Legion and grounded the charge in it. With the three guards dead, Miranda walked over to the engineer and said, "Deactivate the shield."

"Why should I?" he asked.

"We're here on the Illusive Man's orders."

"The Illusive Man hasn't sent information that anyone was going to show up. And why are you with an Alliance Operative, a turian, and a geth?"

"They're allies. The geth was hacked, and the turian has a control chip in him. The Alliance operative is sympathetic to cerberus."

"Then why did they try to kill me?" he asked.

"We were attacked on sight, it was just self-defense." Miranda said.

"Who are you?" asked the scientist.

"Operative Lawson, the Illusive Man's second in command."

The scientist looked shocked, then said, "I apologize, Operative. Right this way."

"Good, we need complete access to all of the files on this operation, and we'll also need to see all of your test subjects."

"I'm afraid that will not be possible. The head scientists have been captured by an ex-Alliance marine. He's holding them in the main lab where the files are stored."

"Why haven't you done anything?" Miranda asked.

"He said that if any non-Alliance personnel tried to enter the lab, he would kill the scientists. None of us wanted to have the responsibility for their lives."

"Well," Shepard said, "then it should be fine for me to go in."

"Are you insane? He'll kill them if you go in!" the scientist said.

"I'm Alliance, he won't kill them." Shepard said before heading to the lab. When she reached the door to the lab, Miranda asked her, "Jessica, you shouldn't be going in there alone."

"I'm the only one here who he'll be willing to talk to without killing the scientists. And they could be useful in the years to come." Shepard said as she opened the door. Inside, She saw a single man standing in the middle of the room holding a pistol to the head of a scientist, "Toombs? How the hell did you survive Akuze?" she asked.

He said, "Shepard, I didn't think I'd see you again. Especially not here."

"I thought you'd been killed by thresher maws."

"They almost did, but I hid in the vehicle and they didn't find me. However, cerberus captured me. The experiments they did were horrific. They pumped maw acid into my veins just to see what it would do." Toombs said.

"That's terrible." Shepard said, "Miri, come in here." When Miranda entered, Toombs asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"She's a member of my crew. Let's take these scientists and get out of here."

"What? This place has to be destroyed!" Toombs said.

Miranda said, "To destroy this facility would require either the use of a large amount of ordnance, or overloading the central reactor core. Neither of those options are beneficial to the galaxy as a whole. It would be simpler to send in an Alliance cleanup team."

"No, I'll be the one to kill them!" Toombs shouted.

"Corporal, stand down!" Shepard said, "This isn't our problem right now! This base will be taken down, but it isn't the main problem. We are _leaving_, Toombs, understood?

"Yes, ma'am. But I'm taking this bastard with me." he replied.

"Fine, let's go." Shepard said. In the main room, Legion and Garrus had everyone tied up. "What happened in here?" Shepard asked.

"Our cover was broken. They learned we weren't working for cerberus, and they tried to kill us." Garrus replied, but while he said this, Toombs opened fire on Legion. The geth ducked and said, "Friendly fire! Requesting assistance, Shepard-Commander."

Shepard sighed and said, "Corporal, hold your fire."

"It's a geth!" he replied.

"A _friendly_ geth." Shepard said.

* * *

Tuchanka: Urdnot.

Wrex said, "No, Clan Urdnot will not help you. You may want to find a cure for the genophage, but the methods you're talking of are too brutal to our people."

Maelon asked, "Isn't a cure for your people worth the risk?"

"The krogan will get a cure, but not through you. I won't risk the lives of our females for your experiments. If you have an actual cure, then I'll consider it. Until then, guards take him away."

As Maelon was dragged away, he shouted, "You'll regret this, Wrex!"

He laughed and said, "Maybe, but Shepard would_ definitely _make me regret it if I accepted your offer."

* * *

SSV Kilimanjaro.

Hackett said, "Sir, perhaps we should consider granting Urdnot Wrex the aid he requested. It would go a long way towards improving human-krogan relations."

Huerta said, "No, a cure for the genophage is the last thing the galaxy needs. Besides, we can't take scientists away from researching weapons to fight the reapers. Maybe after the reapers are gone it will be worth considering."

"Sir, if we cure the genophage, the krogan will be revitalized as a people. They'd be able to fight the reapers without fear of extinction even if we were able to defeat the rachni when no one else could. If they were able to build up their numbers again, they'd be able to help us fight the reapers."

"Admiral, my decision is final. We will not be aiding the krogan in their search for a genophage cure."

"Sir, you're making an enormous mistake. We don't need bad blood with the krogan." Hackett said. Huerta, disconnected however. Hackett then opened up another line of communication and said, "Kenson, I've got a job for you. But, you have to keep it between us. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but what is this about Steven?" she asked.

"Go to the krogan homeworld. At the city of Urdnot, tell the clan leader that while President Huerta rejected his request, not everyone is as short minded as he is. Help him find a cure for the genophage however you can."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, we'll need as much help as we can get when the reapers arrive."

* * *

SSV Normandy: Bridge.

"Shepard, Hackett wants to talk to you." Joker said as she walked up to the bridge.

"Got it." She replied as she headed for the communications center.

Hackett said, "Shepard, I just heard about Toombs's survival. How is he?"

"He's fine, sir. Angry at the galaxy, but fine."

"With what he's been through, that's understandable. How many more cerberus bases are in that cluster?"

"Just one, sir. But the Tunshagon base appears to be the headquarters in this area. We're expecting heavy resistance. We should be back in civilized space in a day or two, though."

"Good. Has Urdnot Wrex contacted you recently?"

"No, sir."

"I thought he might go through you to get Alliance aid for finding a cure for the genophage." Hackett said.

"He's looking for Alliance help?"

"Yeah, but Huerta made it clear that officially the Alliance wasn't going to. However, I sent one of the best scientists in the galaxy to help with it."

"Good, we're going to need an alliance with the krogan if we are going to beat the reapers on the ground." Shepard replied.

"Yes, and Shepard, Anderson asked me to tell you that the council wants you to investigate disappearances in the Amada system."

"Understood. We'll handle it after we investigate this last base."

* * *

The Citadel.

Sparatus said, "Anderson, what is Shepard doing in the Hades Gamma cluster? You've not given us any information on the matter."

"You didn't ask me about it." Anderson said.

"What is Shepard doing out there?" Tevos asked.

"She's investigating the activities of a terrorist group called Cerberus."

"Why?" Valern asked.

"Because Rear Admiral Kahoku asked her to."

"And what right does this rear admiral think he has to distract a Spectre from council assigned duties?" Valern asked.

"When he asked Jessica to take care of it she didn't have any missions from the council." Was Anderson's answer.

* * *

Kai Leng's ship.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Kahoku asked.

"I've been told to take you to a certain location." Leng replied.

"I am an Alliance Admiral! What you are doing is treason!"

"No, Admiral, submitting to the aliens like you and the rest of the Alliance have is treason." Leng growled.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Captain's quarters.

Jessica said, "I think I should retire."

"What? Now? With the reapers coming?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, that way if we lose I can spend my last days with you."

Miranda said, "We won't lose. The reapers may have destroyed countless civilizations, but they've never faced one that they couldn't surprise attack through the Citadel."

Jessica replied by kissing Miranda. When she'd pinned Miranda to the bed, she said, "If you're so certain, then we should relax before attacking this last base."

"I'm interested in more than just relaxing, Commander." Miranda sultrily replied.

* * *

SSV Normandy: bridge.

"What you doing up here, Thane?" Joker asked.

"It was too noisy in my quarters." Thane replied.

Joker asked, "Aren't your quarters directly below Shepards?"

"Yes, I believe that the designers' didn't think that the Normandy's captain would have a lover on the ship."

Joker laughed and said, "You're probably the only person in the galaxy who would leave to avoid that."

"Not the only one, apparently." Thane replied when Chakwas and Ashley walked up.

"Hey, Ash, were you enjoying the sounds down on deck two?" Joker asked.

"Joker, shut up." Ashley said.

"She's got a migraine." stated Chakwas.

"Right," Joker said, "so, when'd you leave Thane?"

"I left as soon as I realized what was occuring. It would have been wrong to intrude on their privacy even if it was only by staying in my quarters."

"So, you didn't start a recording? Shame, that would've sold like crack did before red sand was discovered."

"What's crack?" Thane asked.


	23. Chapter 22: end of arcShepard's death

Tunshagon.

Shepard, Ashley, and Garrus were pinned by a group of cerberus YMIR and LOKI mechs. While Shepard frantically typed into her omni-tool, Ashley and Garrus tossed a few frag grenades into the mechs. Garrus shot the head off one of the YMIRS before he was hit by missiles from the other three. Shepard finished typing the commands into her omni tool and activated the program, sabotaging the mechs motor controls causing them to open fire on any mech in range. Ashley fired her katana shotgun into the cluster of machines that were standing perfectly still. Shepard applied medigel to Garrus's injuries, and Ashley tore the mechs apart with her shotgun. Garrus blearily stood up and took point. Inside, Shepard thought '_Why isn't anyone trying to stop us? This is supposed to be the headquarters in this cluster.' _When they reached the center of the base, Garrus was stabbed by Leng. Ashley opened fire on the cerberus assassin with her pistol, but Shepard said, "Hold your fire."_  
_

Leng said, "I didn't think you liked men, especially turians, Shepard."

"Leng? How the hell did you get out of prison?" she asked.

"Why do you care, Shepard? I thought you were focused on finding your old girlfriend when you weren't busy being a puppet of the council." Leng said as he stepped to the side to reveal Kahoku's body. Shepard pulled out her Avenger and opened fire on Leng. When it emptied out, she replaced her thermal clip and kept firing. Leng sprinted out of the building and dropped a few grenades behind himself. Shepard was about to charge after him when Ashley grabbed her shoulder. Shepard said, "Let me go, Williams!"

"He isn't why we came here, Shepard." Ashley said.

Shepard said, "He's murdered high ranking Alliance, turian, asari, and salarian officials. He has to be taken in."

"We don't have the time." Garrus said. Shepard glared at him and began moving towards the exit Leng taken. Ashley and Garrus grabbed her, but she overloaded them both and ran after him. Outside Leng was flanked by three loki mechs. Shepard threw four arc grenades at them. Leng entered the ship, and fired its main cannons at Shepard. Shepard was sent flying into the walls of the base, while Leng left. When Ashley and Garrus arrived, Shepard said, "Took your time."

"While you were running after Leng, we took the time to kill all of the guards you ran past." Garrus said.

Shepard said, "We've done everything we can here. Return to the Normandy." while limping towards the mako.

* * *

SSV Normandy.

Miranda said, "Why the hell weren't you covering Jessica's back? She could have died because of your inaction!"

"Miri," Jessica said, "I ran ahead, they didn't have time to catch up before I was injured."

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"Kahoku was killed by Kai Leng. Hard to believe that the man who made sure I got into N7 training is dead."

"Why would he do that?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know. But, Miri, I want you to leave the Normandy asap."

"Jessica, You can't be serious!"

"Anyone close to me ends up dead. I can't let that happen to you." Jessica replied.

"Kahoku was your friend, but that probably wasn't why Leng killed him."

"It isn't worth the risk. I _won't_ let you die because of me."

"I'll be fine, Jessica." Miranda said.

"I'm not going to risk it."

* * *

SSV Normandy Bridge.

"Hostile cruiser on intercept trajectory." A crewman said.

"That can't be right, stealth systems are online." Pressly said before he was killed by an explosion and the crewman said, "Pressly!" before another explosion killed her. Joker shouted "Mayday! Mayday! This is SSV Normandy, we have been attacked by an unknown enemy!"

* * *

"Jessica! Joker refuses to leave the ship behind. And I'm not going either." Miranda said.

Jessica said, "Miri, you need to get to the escape pods."

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"Miri, go... now." Jessica said.

"What about you?"

"I'll get Joker to the escape pods, then get the hell off this ship." Jessica said.

"Don't die on me." Miranda said.

Jessica smiled and said, "I'll see you on the surface, promise." she then sprinted up towards the CIC and bridge. She slowly walked through the torn apart Combat Information Center. When she reached the bridge she said, "Joker, we need to get going."

"I can still save the Normandy!"

"The Normandy's lost, going down with the ship won't change that."

Joker closed his eyes and said, "Fine, help me up." When they had reached the escape pods, she helped him into the pod, just before she was hit by a blast from the attacking vessel. While she floated away from the pod, she hit the escape pod's launch butto

* * *

One week later: the Citadel Presidium.

Anderson said, "Commander Shepard was an excellent soldier, a good person, and a closefriend of mine. But I'm not the person she would want to give a speech about her life. However, the person she would want to give it, isn't available. Shepard survived the Skyllian Blitz when any other soldier would have died. She took command on Torfan when Major Kyle died. She tracked down Saren and the Conduit. She was known as the Savior of the Citadel, but this isn't what made Jessica Shepard great. What made her great was her ability to earn the respect and love of anyone she met. She could take a group of people who hated each other, and make them trust each other with their lives. Though Shepard is gone, her work still lives on. Because of her service, the council had this statue built in her honor, following her untimely death."

* * *

Two months later: Illium.

Miranda stared at the wall, mostly ignoring what Oriana was saying.

"Randa!" Oriana shouted, "You're not even listening, are you?"

She replied, "Sorry, I'm just not really in the mood to talk."

"It's been two months since the incident. You need to quit just staring into space, and actually do something."

"What good will it do? IT won't bring Shepard back."

"She wouldn't want you to waste away just because she was gone." stated Oriana.

Miranda didn't reply.

* * *

The Citadel: Anderson's office.

"Williams, I need you back in action. The Alliance may have grounded Joker because he caused Jessica's death, but you're fine." Anderson said.

"I'm ready for action, sir." Ashley replied.

* * *

Illium.

Joker sat in the corner when a tall man walked up to him and asked, "Why is the pilot who flew the ship that killed Sovereign wasting away in a bar like this?"

Joker slurred out, "Sh-shepard died 'cause I wouldn' leave the sip behind. The grape Commandeer Sheard dead because of me."

"Yes, well our organization has recovered her body. We wondered if you would be interested in working for us."

* * *

Illium: Miranda's office.

"Miranda, I need you to come back to work." TIM said.

"Why, sir?" She asked.

"We've recovered Shepard's body. I want you to run the Lazarus Project to restore her."

"Where do you want me to go, sir?"

"Jacob Taylor will be at the spaceport near Eternity."

"Yes, sir." Miranda said.


	24. Chapter 23: Mass Effect 2 Arc beginning

Lazarus Station: Two years later.

"There, on the monitor. Something's wrong." Miranda said.

"She's reacting to outside stimuli." Wilson replied, "Showing an awareness of her surroundings. Oh my god, Miranda, I think she's waking up."

"Damn it, Wilson, she's not ready yet! Give her the sedative. Jessica, don't try to move." Miranda said as Jessica reached to touch her face. "Just try to stay calm."

"Heart rates still climbing. Brain activity is off the charts." When Miranda moved towards him, Wilson continued, "Stats pushing into the red zone. It's not working!"

"Then give her another dose, now." Miranda said.

Once the second dose had been administered, Wilson said, "Stats going down. She's going back under."

"We almost lost her! Check the estimates again!" Miranda said.

* * *

Three days later.

An explosion rocked the station and Miranda shouted, "Jessica get up! This facility is under attack!"

Jessica replied, "Miri, how the hell am I alive?"

"We can talk about it later. Get your armor and pistol from the locker."

"Got it." Jessica said. When she had equipped the armor and grabbed the pistol, she said, "This doesn't have a thermal clip."

"There's a clip in the next room." Miranda said. When Jessica had grabbed the clip. She fired on the rogue mechs, and when all of their heads had exploded from being shot. She moved further into the facility and Miranda said, "Jessica, I'll meet you in the shuttle bay. Our chief of security Jacob Taylor is in the next room. There are a hundred or so mechs coming after me currently."

"Where are you? I'll give you backup!"

"That won't work. You'll need to find a way to shut down the mechs remotely." Miranda said before she cut the communications line.

"Miri? Miri!" Shepard shouted. When there was no response she sprinted through the hallway until she reached an open area where saw a man pinned by several mechs. She overloaded the mechs central processors and asked, "Are you Taylor?"

"Yeah, I didn't think Lawson would have you up yet." he said.

"We need to get to the mech command center, Miri's in trouble." Shepard said.

"Don't call her that to her face. She'll tear yours off if you do."

"I'd be offended if someone who helped me stop Saren tore my face off."

"Sorry, forgot about that. Follow me." Taylor said. Shepard followed him. They fought a few more mechanics. When they reached the command center, they saw Wilson keeping the mechs focused on Miranda. Shepard shot him in the head and said, "Never could trust anyone in Cerberus." Before deactivating the mechs.

"How did you know we were cerberus?" Jacob asked.

"The Illusive Man's the only person who would give Miri the funding to bring someone back to life." Shepard said. When they reached the shuttle bay, Miranda said, "Jessica! You're alright, thank God." Jessica just grabbed Miranda and kissed her. Jacob's jaw dropped, and quietly moved towards the shuttle. He then said, "Sorry to interrupt, but we need to get out of here."

Miranda said, "Right, we need to get out of her."

* * *

The Citadel: Anderson's office.

When Anderson finished reading Miranda's message, he contacted Ashley and said, "Ashley, the Alliance needs you to go and help the colony on Horizon. The Gardian lasers aren't working."

She said, "Yes sir. Is there anything I need to know?"

"Just be careful out there."

* * *

Shuttle.

"Jessica, we need to run some tests to make sure you remember everything. On Elysium you fought off batarian raiders and earned the star of terra." Miranda said.

"You know that I was just doing what I had to." Jessica replied.

"Say what you will, it was damned impressive." Stated Jacob, "I had friends who were there. You saved their lives."

"Now for something more recent, on Virmire you left Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko to die. Why?"

"He was the best man to detonate the bomb. I didn't want to let him die, but it was what he wanted."

"Yes, after the Battle of the Citadel, where the council was saved, you endorsed Captain Anderson for the position of councilor. Why?" Jacob asked.

"He was the best man for the job. With the reapers coming we need humanities' representative to focus more on defense than politics." Jessica said, when the shuttle jutted to a halt as it landed in the cerberus station. Miranda said, "The Illusive Man wants to see you."

Jessica nodded and entered the next room where the QEC to the Illusive Man's office was. When she entered it, TIM said, "Shepard, good to see that you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"You haven't earned the right to ask me those kind of questions. Now what do you want from me?"

"Human colonies are going missing and the Alliance is too focused on preparing for the reapers to take care of it. The colony of Freedom's Progress was the latest to get hit in these raids. I want you to take Jacob and Miranda and go investigate it."

"You've brought me back and are already trying to give me orders? I don't work for you TIM."

"How about a deal, then. You go investigate Freedom's Progress, and if you find enough evidence to convince you it's a real threat, you help cerberus take them out. If not, then you can go your own way."

Shepard said, "That works for me." before leaving for the room Miranda and Jacob were in. She walked up to Miranda and said, "Hey."

Miranda asked, "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"I wanted to thank you for bringing me back, Miri. Also, to tell you that I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise to meet you on the surface."

"You were killed saving Joker. There was nothing you could have done about it."

Jessica said, "Maybe, but I'm sorry none the less. I just hope you weren't to down before Project Lazarus began."

"How couldn't I be?" whispered Miranda as her eyes filled with tears.

Shepard held Miranda and stated, "I'm back now. What do you know of Taylor?"

"He's a good guy, a bit on the dull side, but a good guy. He was an Alliance Corsair before he was recruited by cerberus shortly after Torfan."

"Got it, should I talk to him, or just get everyone to the shuttle?"

"He's in charge of weapons for the operation, so it probably would be a good idea to talk to him." Miranda replied. Jessica nodded, and winked at Miranda while she went to talk to Jacob. She said, "Taylor, what the hell do you think your doing? If that's a video of Miranda and I, you'll regret it."

"Not at all ma'am. Just some game from the early 21st century called Angry Birds In Space."

"Why the hell are you playing Angry Birds before a mission? Shouldn't you be making sure the equipment's in a good enough condition to kill anything we want to kill?"

"It already is, there something you want to talk about other than my choice of pre-mission entertainment?"

"What kind of kit do you have for me?"

"You'll be carrying a Cerberus Harrier assault rifle. It's a full auto version of the mattock." He said when he saw the confusion on Shepard's face. "We've also got a talon pistol, hornet smg, raptor sniper rifle, and a scimitar shotgun. There are also a few grenade launchers if you want one." Shepard's face lit up and she said, "Give me one."

* * *

Two hours later: Freedom's Progress.

Shepard took point, but when they entered an empty building where it appeared colonists had been eating there meal until they just got up and left. Jacob said, "It's like they just left in the middle of dinner. What the hell happened here?"

"That's what we're here to find out. This is too clean to be raiders. There'd be a lot more blood and damage if it had been." Shepard said. In the next building, there was a group of quarians. One of the males said, "It's cerberus! Get them!"

"Prazza put your weapons away. They won't attack us like the others."

"Tali?" Shepard asked.

"Shepard? Is that you?"

"Yeah, and no worse for wear than when we took down Saren."

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to prove it's you. What was my pilgrimage gift?"

"Geth data Legion gave you."

"It's Shepard." Tali said.

"Why is your old Commander working for cerberus?" Prazza asked.

"I don't know. Why are you working for Cerberus? And Miranda, you too."

"She was cerberus even on the Normandy, but she doesn't really agree with how cerberus does things."

"She lied to us!" Tali shouted.

"No, she didn't." Shepard replied.

"She said she wasn't an enemy of the quarians or of any other alien species."

"And Miri isn't. She joined cerberus out of desperation. It was either them or death." Shepard said.

"How can you be so sure that you can trust her?"

"Because, I know her. She doesn't help terrorist organizations unless it could do some good for the entire galaxy. She isn't like the rest of them."

Tali nodded and said, "Alright, Miranda's never done anything to directly endanger the migrant fleet in my time on the Normandy."

Shepard sighed and said, "Why are you here, Tali? And with marines."

"We're here looking for one of our people. A young quarian named Veetor, he came here on his pilgrimage."

"Why would a quarian come to a remote human colony on his pilgrimage?" Miranda asked.

"Quarians can choose were they go on pilgrimage. Veetor was always... nervous in crowds. He thought that helping a small colony would be fine."

"How do you want to handle this?"

"He's on the far side of the colony, but there are too many mechs for a single team to take care of. I was thinking that you could take the left flank while we take the right."

"Got it. Miri, Jacob, let's go." Shepard said. When they had exited the building they were ambushed by a group of Fenris mechs. One jumped on Shepard only to be flung into the nearby gulch by Miranda's biotics. Shepard fired her harrier into another one of the mechs, and it was torn apart. She then reloaded because the thing was empty, before moving onto a rocket drone that had Jacob pinned behind cover. With the drone gone, Jacob hit a group of Lokis with a singularity. Miranda then hit it with a warp creating a biotic explosion that tore the mechs apart. She said to Shepard, "During the reconstruction we gave you biotics. I remember you saying that you'd always wanted 'space magic' as you called it."

Shepard grinned and said, "Thanks, but you'll have to teach me how to use them."

"i'll be looking forward to putting you through your paces."

Jacob said, "We don't really have time to chat about teaching Shepard how to use the biotics you gave her."

Shepard retorted, "We can talk about it while we move. So long as we are careful not to get ambushed." When they reached the next avenue, Tali said, "Jessica! Prazza's men have gone on ahead, they want to take Veetor away before you can talk to him!"

"Damn it! Jacob, Miri, hurry up!" Shepard said. When they reached a set of large doors, Tali said, "There's a heavy mech beyond that door that's tearing Prazza and his men apart."

"Open it." Shepard said.

"Already working on doing that." Tali replied. When the door opened, Shepard saw the YMIR tear Prazza's mask of and then crush his back. Shepard fired an overload at it while Miranda hit it with an overload. It created a tech burst that damaged the mech enough for Jacob's warp followed by a throw to kill it. Shepard then ran over to the injured quarian and said, "He's dead." Shepard closed his eyes and said, "Let's go talk to Veetor. He's the only one who can make sense of this mess." Inside the nearby shack, a quarian said, "Monsters coming back. Mechs will protect. Mechs will keep away."

"Veetor?" Shepard asked.

"No. No Veetor here." he replied, while frantically typing into the console. Shepard entered a command into her omni tool and waved her arm, which shut down the screens. Veetor turned around and said, "You're human, but the monsters took everyone."

"We just showed up recently. We need to know what happened here."

"You were not here. You didn't see, but I saw everything. The monsters came in from everywhere and their seeker swarms stung everyone, making them freeze in place." He said while opening up a video. Miranda said, "Oh my God. I think that's a collector."

"They haven't been seen since they last returned back through the Omega 4 relay a few hundred years ago." Shepard said.

"We have what we need." Jacob said, "We should take him with us. Cerberus's interrogators should be able to get more information out of him." He said, but Shepard and Miranda both punched him in the face. Tali sighed and said, "I take it you don't want cerberus to get their hands on Veetor?"

"He's traumatized and needs medical attention. We'll just take the data from his omni tool so that we can learn as much as possible about what happened here." Shepard said.

"Thank you Shepard."

"You know, Tali, if you wanted we could take you with us. It'd be just like old times."

"I'd love to Shepard, but I've got a job in geth space. There might be heretics there too."

"There anything I can do to help?" Shepard asked.

"No, but if I haven't sent you a message a month from now, I may need help." Tali said.

"Got it. If you haven't contacted me within a month I'll go check up on you. Where'll you be?"

"Haestrom."

"Got it. Team move out." Shepard said.

* * *

Cerberus station.

"Shepard, good work on the Freedom's Progress op." TIM said, "I suspected the Collectors were behind the attacks on the colonies but didn't have any evidence. The quarians also sent the omni tool to us. A surprising olive branch, considering our history."

"You'd be surprised what happens when you work with the other species." Shepard said.

"Diplomacy is good when it works, but difficult when everyone already views you as an enemy."

"Right. I'll help you take out the Collectors, but that's it. If you try to make anyone think I'm working for Cerberus, our alliance is over. If you endanger any of my friends, our alliance is over."

"If you leave Cerberus before I give you permission, I'll make sure you don't see operative Lawson ever again." TIM replied.

"Listen close, Harper." Shepard said with glowing red eyes, "If you try to take Miri from me, I'll quit working on hunting down the collectors and turn all of my attention to destroying your precious Cerberus."

TIM looked shocked, and asked, "How did you know my real name?"

"You think I don't recognize you? When I was a kid teaching Miri, you came to Lawson's place a few times to see how he was doing." Shepard said as she turned to leave.

"You'll need a team, Shepard!" TIM said.

"I had a team."

"No one has seen or heard from Legion since the Normandy was destroyed, Garrus Vakarian has also disappeared, Williams is on a classified Alliance op, Krios is preoccupied with hunting down someone who was related to his wife's murder, Tali is unavailable at the moment. You'll need a new team. And a ship. You can't get those things elsewhere, Shepard."

"Who do you have in mind, Jack?"

"I've forwarded dossiers to Miranda on several specialists who I believe you will find agreeable. Also, I've found a pilot for your ship that you might like. I hear he's the best, and someone you can trust." TIM said, before Shepard left. Joker walked in, and said, "Hey, Jessica, just like old times, huh."

While they walked into the next room, Jessica said, "I can't believe it's you, Joker."

"Look who's talking, I saw you get spaced."

"Got lucky, but with a lot of strings attached. How'd you get here."

"After you died because of me, I was grounded by the Alliance so I spent all of my time drinking on Illium. Cerberus sent Jacob to recruit me, said that I'd be needed to fly for a mission just as important as the one against Saren. I sobered up, they strengthened my bone-structure with some tech they were testing for use on you, and began flying again."

"Do you trust them?" Jessica asked.

"I don't trust anyone who makes more than I do, but they aren't all bad. They saved you, let me fly, and there's this." Joker said as a sleek, new Normandy class stealth frigate slowly flew forward into sight. "They only told me about it last night." he continued.

"She'll need a name." Jessica said as Miranda walked over.

* * *

Normandy SR2.

"Jessica, I think we should go recruit Mordin Solus, the salarian doctor on Omega first." Miranda said.

"Yeah, meet me in the captain's cabin?" Jessica asked.

"I'll come by tonight. Get some rest, Jessica." Miranda said as she left. Jessica walked over to the galaxy map where she was greeted by a very cheerful red-head. "Hello, Commander, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, who are you?"

"I'm Kelly Chambers, your personal yeoman."

"Got it, Ms. Chambers, there anything I need to know about?"

"Joker would like to speak to you in the bridge. And please, call me Kelly."

"All right, Kelly, I better go check on him." Jessica said. When she reached the bridge, Joker said, "Can you believe this! The Normandy's back, even though it does talk back now."

"Yeah, I was surprised that Cerberus had made an AI. EDI," Shepard said.

"Yes Commander?" the AI asked.

"How long until we reach Omega?"

"The trip will be one day and six hours, Commander."

"Got it. And Joker, be sure not to break the ship in any way. That includes EDI." Jessica said as she headed to the loft.


	25. Chapter 24: Mordin recruitment

Normandy SR2.

Jessica stared out the window, until EDI said, "Operative Lawson wishes to enter."

"Let her in." Jessica replied. When Miranda entered, she asked, "How are you doing, Jessica."

"I'm fine, just a bit surprised to be alive again. How'd you do it?"

"It was a large amount of guess work. We had to test each new treatment on a cadaver that was in your current physical state. When we had one of them wake up, that brought an end to the tests on cadavers. We knew what to do once that happened."

"So, I'm not just some VI that thinks it's Commander Shepard?"

"No, some people suggested doing that, but I made it clear that we would either bring back Commander Shepard, or we would work on it until we all died." Miranda said.

Jessica said, "Thanks, that's a huge relief. Miri, how've you been these last two years?"

"The first two months were the worst. At the end of that time the Illusive Man contacted me and put me in charge of the Lazarus Project. When I saw you the first time I broke down and had to spend the next few hours in my quarters on the station. Then, two years later, you woke up for the first time. It was early, but it meant that you'd be back to peak condition in a few weeks."

"How come my muscles haven't atrophied since I died two years ago?"

"We made sure that they stayed in optimal condition in case you needed to move quickly when you woke up."

"That must have been a ton of work." Jessica said.

"Yes," Miranda said, "but it was worth it." before pushing Jessica down onto her bed and kissing her.

* * *

Anderson's Office: The Citadel.

Sparatus said, "The turian fleet is being built up and every last one of our fighters have been retrofitted with Thanix cannons. Most of our frigates and cruisers have also received the upgrade. When the reapers come, we'll be as ready as possible for what they bring. Doctor T'soni is investigating prothean data archives on Thessia, and the asari have agreed to improve their defenses. Just in case the reapers are real, they said."

Anderson said, "Why are you giving me a report?"

"You've given me frequent updates on how the Alliance is preparing for the enemy, I'm merely showing you the same courtesy."

Anderson nodded and said, "There's something we need to talk about, in private."

"What is it, Anderson?'

"In private." he replied, pointing at the turian bodyguard.

"Go, I'll be fine." Sparatus said.

When the turian was gone, Anderson said, "Shepard's alive again. It seems Cerberus found here corpse."

"We thought it was burned up in the atmosphere, but now she's alive? How?"

"My contact couldn't tell me anything else, but she did say that Shepard would not be able to visit for a few more weeks. She seemed to think that Shepard wouldn't even be up for another few days."

"Who's your contact?"

"For her safety I can't say. Cerberus has ears everywhere."

"Do you know what Cerberus is having Shepard do?"

"My contact said that she would be investigating the disappearing colonies." Anderson said.

* * *

Normandy SR2.

EDI said, "We have arrived on Omega, Shepard."

Jessica said, "Got it. Miri, time to get up."

Miranda groaned and asked, "Why now?"

Jessica laughed and said, "Because, if you don't get up, you'll have to sleep in your own bed instead of mine." Before she equipped her Kestrel Armor.

Miranda rolled out of bed and muttered, "Bloody extortionist."

Jessica said, "Only because we have to do this if we're to stop the abductions of human colonies in the terminus."

* * *

Omega.

When Shepard, Miranda, and Jacob got off the Normandy and into the main area they were greeted by a salarian who said, "Ah! You're new here, I can always tell. Welcome to Omega. Allow me to..." a batarian interrupted him, saying, "Leave Fargut, now."

"Of course, Moklan, whatever she wants."

"What the hell was that about?" Shepard asked.

"He was just a scavenger. Welcome to Omega, Shepard."

"You know who I am?"

"Of course, we had you tagged the moment you entered the Terminus Systems. You aren't as subtle as you think. Aria wants to know what brings a dead Spectre to Omega. I suggest you go talk to her immediately."

Shepard's eyes started to glow red and she said, "You can tell Aria that if she wants to talk to me, she can leave her precious night club and come talk to me. I'm not one of her cronies who she can just order around as she pleases."

"You might want to rethink your position, Shepard." Moklan said.

Jessica pulled out her Talon and shot him in the face with it. She said, "No, I don't."

EDI then said, "I am receiving quarantine warnings about the slums where Professor Solus has been working. Also, it appears that several mercenary bands have gotten together to take out Archangel."

"Got it. We need to recruit them both, though. What can you tell me about the plague in the slums?"

"It doesn't affect humans, but every other race that can contract diseases have members that have been infected with it." EDI said.

"All right, we need to get going." Shepard said. When they reached the end of the hallway, they saw Zaeed beating a batarian. Shepard shot the batarian in the head, and Zaeed said, "Damn, Shepard, didn't think you'd show up on Omega."

"Zaeed, how've you been?" Shepard asked.

"Been pretty good. Still haven't fulfilled that contract of yours though. He's really hard to get to."

"I doubt that you'll be able to get to him. You ready to move Zaeed?"

"Yeah, but did Cerberus tell you about the terms of my contract?"

"No, they must have left it out of the dossier." Shepard replied.

"Well, you ever hear of Vido Santiago?"

"He's the head of the entire Blue Suns organization. You got some kind of grudge against him?"

"You could say that. He's on Zoria."

"We'll look into that when we've got the time. Let's move."

"Right, once he's gone we can focus on being big god-damn heroes." Zaeed said. When they reached the entrance to the quarantine, the guard opened fire. Shepard pulled out her eviscerator and fired on him. He dodged the shot, but Zaeed pinned him to the ground. The guard said, "Aria wants to speak to you, Shepard. You aren't allowed past until you've spoken to her."

"I don't have the time to talk to her." Shepard said as she entered the elevator to the quarantine zone. Inside, they were attacked by the guards. The entire team got behind cover and pulled out their weapons. Shepard fired her Harrier into one of the guards while Miranda and Jacob fired their hornets into other guards. Zaeed activated his incendiary rounds and tore through the other guard. They move through the area at a quick pace, the other guards didn't open fire, but Shepard kept her Harrier out. When they got past that area, they saw a batarian bleeding out on the ground. Shepard shot him in the head, and moved further along the path where they were attacked by several blue suns mercs. Shepard popped in a new thermal clip and opened fire. Jacob and Miranda used their biotics to take down several of the mercs before Zaeed shot the last one in the head with his Viper sniper rifle. Shepard took a side path and in the apartment at the end of it, two thugs were looting. She said, "You should quit stealing from the dead."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" one of them asked.

"Commander Shepard." she replied.

"Commander Shepard died two years ago."

"My death was faked."

"That might be true." The second one said, "You know what Spectres get into."

"All right, we'll quit looting, just don't kill us."

"Go and I won't." Shepard said. When they left several Vorcha opened fire on them and Shepard had to throw three frag grenades. With the vorcha dead, the team moved further forward. They saw the Blue Suns fighting the vorcha who were backed by varren that were tearing through the blue suns. Shepard and Zaeed sniped the varren while Jacob and Miranda used their biotics to kill the mercs. Shepard then moved on to the vorcha flamers, who were tearing through Miranda and Jacob's shields. When they were dead, Shepard pulled out her harrier and sprinted into the middle of the area, firing into the vorcha until her clip emptied out. She then pulled out her eviscerator and killed the last vorcha. Down the hall, they met a couple whom Shepard convinced to go to the clinic after them. When the mercs outside the clinic were dead, Shepard put her weapons away and signaled for the others to do the same. They then entered the base and were told by a receptionist, "Don't cause any trouble inside." When they reached the back of the facility a salarian was giving commands. Shepard asked, "Are you Mordin Solus?"

"Yes. Humans, heavily armed. Soldiers not scientists. Spectres? Not human. Cerberus sent you."

"How do you know of Cerberus?" Miranda asked.

"Former STG. Still have contacts. What do you need?"

"I'm Commander Shepard and we've come to recruit you for an important mission."

"Mission? What Mission. No, no, no. Need to cure plague. Cure made, just need to apply it to the whole area with the ventilation systems."

"Have you seen any Collectors on Omega recently?" Shepard asked.

"Collectors? No."

"Then could they be using the vorcha as agents?" Shepard asked.

"Collectors are one of the few groups with the tech to engineer this plague. Our interests may be similar."

"If we help you apply the cure to the whole area, will you come with us?" Shepard asked.

Mordin was quiet for a moment, then said, "Yes. Here is the cure. And a few samples in case you see anyone infected who isn't trying to kill you. Also, my assistant left to help victims in vorcha territory. I would appreciate it if you could find him."

"Got it." Shepard said. When they left, Jacob said, "I'm surprised you were so quick to help the professor."

"We need his help if we're going to be able to fight the Collectors without getting hit by the seeker swarms." Shepard said. When they entered the room where Mordin's assistant was, Shepard shot the two batarians with their pistols to his head and held it to the third's head. She said, "Go now if you want to live. The batarian ran away, and the assistant said, "Why did you kill those two!"

"They each had a gun to your face. I killed them before they could kill you. I won't let a single batarian who is putting weapons to humans live. If they had what they wanted every human would have a control chip in them." Shepard growled before leaving.

Miranda said, "You should head back to the clinic. Mordin's worried about you."

In the main ventilation chamber, a vorcha said, "We break fans! Everyone choke and die!"

"Why are you doing this? What do the Collectors want?"

"Collectors want plague!" the vorcha said before it opened fire on them. Zaeed shot the vorcha in the face and said, "Shepard, what the hell were you thinking? You should have shot it instead of talking!" While they killed all the vorcha in the area. When they had put the cure in the ventilation system, she ran to the fan on the west side with Miranda while Zaeed and Jacob took the east. When they had turned on both fans, they returned to the clinic and Mordin said, "Cure spreeding, victims improving. Plague will be eradicated within a few hours. Will be able to leave soon. Just need to set up a few things."

His assistant said, "That's the one who killed the batarians!"

"Would have killed them myself. Ready to go now." Mordin said.

* * *

SSV Normandy.

Jessica said, "What do you think of Mordin?"

Joker said, "I'm not sure if he's more likely to cure you or shoot you."

"And Zaeed?"

"He's like you but takes checks. When are you going to be going for Archangel?"

"In a few minutes. Just relaxing a bit before going our again, that last mission had a lot of running, and I'm still not back in top form."


	26. Chapter 25: Archangel's Fall

Omega: Afterlife Nightclub.

Shepard, Miranda, Mordin, and Zaeed walked up to Aria's separate 'booth' and when Aria's men drew their weapons and reached for a scanner, Shepard shot them with her talon pistol. Aria said, "You always were a pain in the ass, Shepard. And even more so now."

Shepard replied, "Shut up, T'loak. I'm only here because I need information and you're the best person for information on Omega."

"And why should I help you? You've been killing my men since you arrived on Omega."

"Because," Shepard said with glowing red eyes, "if you don't I'll make an example of you to the rest of Omega. If you either get in my way or refuse to help me, you'll end up dead, or worse."

Miranda placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder and said, "Jessica, relax."

Shepard took a deep breath and said, "Right, where is it the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood Pack trying to take out Archangel?"

"You have to do something for me before I'll give you your precious intel." Aria said.

"And what would that be?"

"The Patriarch's in danger. Some assassins are coming after him. I want you to move him into hiding."

"That's all?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, but if you kill the assassins, there'll be more." Aria said, Shepard nodded in response and left. When they reached the lower level of Afterlife, Shepard said, "Miri, if Aria tries anything I want you to restrain her with your biotics. Mordin, Zaeed, be ready to kill her if things get hairy."

"You trying to create total anarchy on Omega?" Zaeed asked.

"It's already there. Aria's just the most powerful merc here." Shepard said, before entering the Patriarch's den. She said, "Patriarch! What do you think of having me kill some assassins who are coming after you?"

The krogan replied, "Assassins don't come for me anymore. They all go after Aria."

"Probably trying to get at her through you. I don't care for that bitch, but she has some intel I need. What do you think?"

"It is not krogan to go to aliens for help." Patriarch said.

"Why not? Krogan are allowed to have a kraant. We could act as yours."

"Jessica, Aria said that if you killed the assassins you'd have to do more than just save the Patriarch." Miranda whispered.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Shepard said, squeezing Miranda's hand before saying, "If you'll let us work as your kraant, we will kill all those who would kill you."

"If you are willing, then go kill them as my kraant." Patriarch said. When they reached the back alley where the assassins were, Shepard calmly threw an arc grenade into their midst, and shot the stunned krogan before they could recover. She sighed, and headed back to Patriarch and told him the news. In response to the news he roared and said, "I feel like a krogan again! Thank you, Shepard!"

"No problem, annoying Aria is the best thing about coming to Omega." Shepard said as they left, when they were at the base of the stairs to Aria's loft, she said, "Remember the plan." At the top, Aria was fuming. she shouted, "I told you _not_ to kill the assassins, Shepard. Yet you did so anyways! Why do you insist on being a thorn in my side?"

"Because you hire batarians and let them murder humans as they please on this station. Maybe if you fired them all and shot them out the airlock I'd feel better about helping you."

"You aren't in a position to make demands, Shepard. Since you didn't do as you were told, you'll have to spend the night in bed with me before you get your information about Archangel. It should counteract the damage to my reputation you've caused by killing them."

"No." Shepard said, "I told you before, I'm not interested in asari, least of all you." Aria glared at Shepard and her biotics flared up. Miranda hit the asari with a stasis, and when she broke free and fired a warp at Shepard, the Commander responded by using a prothean biotic technique. Aria was stunned when she was hit by biotics and they started tearing her apart at an atomic level. She screamed before Shepard said, "I learned a few tricks back when I was hunting Saren. Give me the information and I'll let you live. Otherwise, I'll let the field keep doing its job."

Aria said, "Fine, they're recruiting in the private room on this floor. That's all I know, now get rid of this damned field!"

Shepard just laughed and walked away, before cutting the flow of dark energy to the field. Miranda asked, "What was that?"

"Prothean technique. The best translation from the original name for it would be Dark Channel. I'm surprised at how effective it was."

"That's a brutal use of biotics, it was tearing her apart."

"She deserved it."

"Are there any other prothean biotic tricks in the Cipher?"

"Yeah, but they are much less pleasant than it. I used the mellowest of their abilities."

"You're joking, right?" Miranda asked.

"No, there's this one ability which turns the victims organs into an ectremely dense mush, another that just stimulates the pain receptors in their bodies, and many others." Shepard said.

"And you've had all of this in your head ever since you got the Cipher. Why didn't you share it?" Miranda asked.

"Because, this stuff is monstrous. They'd learned how to efficiently manipulate eezo, to the point where one of their biotics could use their abilities for hours longer than ours. Some of the stuff in here is like our modern biotic attacks, but they do more damage, and they're designed to hurt like hell before they finish off their victims. And the reapers use biotics that the protheans found revolting. When they come, we'll have to be prepared for anything." Shepard said. "Using Dark Channel on someone, even a bitch like Aria, made me feel sick. All of their abilities are to make the enemy surrender just for fear of the pain that the attacks would cause."

Zaeed said, "The protheans sound like my kind of alien, not the pacifistic bullshit the asari would have us believe."

Shepard didn't reply, but instead entered the recruitment office. The batarian recruiter was giving a lecture on how they were freelancers, not Blue Suns, Eclipse, or Blood Pack. When Shepard walked up he said, "Sorry, strippers quarters are that way."

Shepard replied, "Do I look like a stripper to you?" when he said, "Yes." Shepard put a pistol to his head and growled, "I'm not. I'm here to go after Archangel. If you have a problem with that, I'll pull the trigger, got it?"

"uh, yes, you'll receive five-hundred credits at the end of the job. If you die your friends don't collect your share. This doesn't make you a member of the Blue Suns, Eclipse, or Blood Pack, you are a freelancer, that's it."

"Got it, where's the job located?" Shepard asked.

"We've got a driver at the cab station who'll take you to Archangel's location." When they were about to leave a teenager walked in and asked, "Is this the place to signup for hunting Archangel?"

Shepard said, "Yes, but it would be for the best if you didn't sign up. A lot of people are going to die during this op."

"But I just got this pistol for five credits and I want to use it!" he said.

Shepard grabbed the pistol and popped out the thermal clip, she said, "Get your money back." Then in a quieter voice she said, "None of the mercs going after Archangel are going to survive."

"What?" He asked.

"I'm Commander Shepard, and I'm going in to rescue Archangel. If you go in after him, I'll have to kill you. If you try to warn the mercs about my plan, I'll have to kill you. If you in any way try to harm Archangel, I'll have to kill you." The kid looked shocked, before quietly leaving. Mordin said, "Well done, Shepard. Limiting their numbers will make the mission not as difficult."

"We've got work to do." Shepard said. When they reached the cab station, Miranda said, "Omega. What a pisshole. I've come here before on business, and always felt like I needed a shower afterwards, in addition to regular decontamination."

Shepard just laughed and asked the batarian, "You the one that takes the freelancers to the Archangel job?"

"Yeah, you more freelancers?"

"Yes," Shepard said, "we need to get their soon if we're to see any combat from what I've heard."

"Got it, get in the cab." the batarian said.

* * *

Omega: Archangel's hideout.

Shepard and Miranda hacked the heavy mechs while Zaeed and Mordin made sure that no one discovered them. When they met with Tarak, the leader of the Blue Suns, they were told to go talk to Sergeant Kathka. When they saw the batarian working on the gunship, Shepard asked, "Are you Kathka?"

"_Sergeant _Kathka." he said.

"Whatever." Shepard said, "When do we go after Archangel?"

"When you're told to." Kathka said. A few minutes later he said, "We've just received the order to attack. Go!" When most of the freelancers were gone, he also stated, "I've got to get this back in working condition before Tarak wants her out in the field again." Shepard quietly stabbed him with an electric rod, smirking as his body shook and he fell dead. When they moved to the the bridge, they opened fire on the freelancers. Shepard took point and hit several with a prothean version of throw which caused them to fly into the air and when they landed to just spas on the ground as pain racked their bodies. The others executed them before they could get to Archangel. Shepard ran up the stairs and when she reached the top, she saw two mercs trying to hack the door. She shot both in the head with her harrier, and knocked on the door. She said, "Archangel, open up! We're here to help." A few moments later the turian opened the door and said, "Shepard, didn't think I'd see you again after you were spaced on the Normandy."

"Garrus! How the hell'd you end up on Omega?"

"Long story, how are you still breathing?"

"Well, I have a _very _good friend that's a high ranking member of Cerberus, and she used her ties to get me brought back."

"Cerberus brought you back? Practically the last thing you did before you died was take out several of their bases and took down a cluster spanning operation."

"They were desperate, and needed someone who could get the job done."

"What would be so serious that they'd bring you back?"

"Human colonies are disappearing and the Alliance is focused on preventing the reapers from killing us all, so they can't act on it. But enough about me, how'd you let yourself get into this mess?" Shepard asked.

"I let my emotions get the better of me."

"That's not like you, Garrus." Miranda said.

"Already found Miranda again? You really are efficient." Garrus said.

Jessica laughed and said, "It wasn't too hard, she did do most of the work to bring me back."

"Ah, how'd you talk the Illusive Man into it?"

"He didn't need me to convince him. He wasn't too upset about Shepard's taking down that project. But I suspect that he'll be quite angry with me whenever Jessica decides to quit."

"Why?" Jessica asked.

"Later. This isn't the place to talk about it." Miranda said.

"Right," Garrus said, "let's see what they're up to now." After looking through the scope of his rifle he handed it to Jessica. She said, "Those look like more than scouts." before shooting the head off of one. She handed Garrus his weapon back before taking up a position beside Miranda. While they fought the horde of mechs, she said, "This is better than Saren's cloning facility, at least there isn't a reaper coming for us!" No one replied, so she concentrated on a prothean biotic technique which created a storm of lightning-like strikes of dark energy that rendered the mechs non-functional. When it was done, she was panting and said "That, was more draining than I expected."

"Jessica! You've got to be more careful! You could have killed yourself again by doing that."

"Thought it would take less energy. Sorry, Miri." Jessica said with a weak smile. When she looked at Garrus she was surprised to see that the turian's mouth was hanging wide open. "If you keep standing like that you'll get flies in your mouth."

"But... you... How?" He asked.

"A bit of an upgrade from my restoration." she said. WhenJaroth approached, Garrus and Zaeed focused their snipers on him. When their rounds connected with his head, the salarian collapsed and Garrus said, "Boom! Headshot!". A couple minutes later, an explosion rocked the building. Garrus said, "Looks like they're trying to get in through the basement. Well, they had to get smart at some point." Shepard tried to get up, but Miranda said, "Jessica, you're in no condition to go running off."

"Someone has to make sure they don't get in. Might as well be me." Jessica replied.

"Jessica, we don't even know what to do to keep them from getting in."

"Right, Garrus, there any way to stop them without just killing them all?"

"There are several shutters that you could close. That should stop them, but Miranda's right, you need to rest Shepard."

Jessica said, "No time to rest. I'm a marine, being tired won't stop me from doing my job quickly and safely."

"You can barely stand, much less hold a rifle." Miranda said.

"There isn't time to argue. Someone needs to take care of it now."

"I'll handle it." Miranda said. Jessica took a deep breath and stood up, she was a bit off-balance for a second, but then was stable on her feet. She said, "I'm going too."

"Fine, but don't do anything reckless."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Jessica said as she took point. When they reached the lower level, there were several varren that Shepard shot with her eviscerator. Miranda focused on killing the vorcha, but there were too many for her smg to take out. Shepard fired a multi-frag grenade into the group of aliens, which quickly took them out. She said, "Really need to remember my omni-tool." Before she closed the shutter and blocked the mercs from getting to it with three turrets and two defense drones. She headed to the right where she was jumped by a vorcha pyro whose head she tore in half with a snarl. Miranda stood there gaping, and Shepard continued down the path, this time letting a combat drone take point. When they reached the shutter, there were no enemies near it, so Shepard closed it with ease. They then headed towards the left hand shutter where they were held at the far end of the room from the shutter by a group of krogan, vorcha, and varren whom's numbers just kept growing. When they finally managed to push forward thanks to Miranda creating a protective bubble from which they could advance while Shepard lobbed out grenades. When the final shutter closed, Garrus asked, "Shepard, can you hurry up? We've been pinned by ten krogan."

"We'll be there in a second." Jessica said as she and Miranda sprinted towards the main area. When they reached it, she opened fire with her harrier and killed three of the krogan before she had to pop in a new thermal clip. When they reached the top of the stairs, they saw that Zaeed had been thrown out the window, and Mordin was pinned by two krogan. Miranda killed the first one with a slam, and Shepard killed the other with a well-placed Harrier round. With only Garm remaining, Garrus having killed the ones Shepard and Miranda missed, the team pinned him against a wall, but before they could finish him off, Tarak showed up in his gunship and opened fire on Garrus. Shepard turned and overloaded the vehicle, but Garrus was already pinned on the ground. Luckily, Mordin had come to and he killed Garm. Then, with only Tarak remaining, they fired on his gunship until he retreated. Shepard ran over to Garrus to apply medi-gel to keep him alive, but was interupted by Tarak's return. She pulled out her grenade launcher and fired three rounds right into the ship's cockpit. The first round shattered the glass, the other two reduced Tarak into nothing more than a pile of gory meat. She said, "Joker, we need an evac now. Send the shuttle to our location."

He said, "Got it, do you want Chakwas onboard?"

"No, but have her prep the med-bay for surgery. Garrus is pretty badly hurt."

"Garrus? Right, Jacob will be getting their in a couple of minutes to get you out of their. He's also got a lot of medigel."

"Good. Hurry." Shepard said.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later.

Jacob arrived with the shuttle, but getting Garrus onboard was difficult due to his condition. Zaeed had recovered from his fall, but was still limping so he couldn't help. With four people moving the turian, it still took at least five minutes to safely get him onboard. On the ride back to the Normandy, Jessica asked, "Are you okay, Miri?"

"I'm just trying to figure something out." Miranda replied.

"What?"

"It's nothing, at least now. Just a hunch."

"What is it?"

"I don't want to say anything until I'm certain. I'll let you know when I find out more." Miranda said.

* * *

**A\N: Some of the changes I have planned for the plot require Horizon to happen before Jack's acquisition, so Grunt's will be the only other recruitment mission before it. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, and if you haven't, please review! **


	27. Chapter 26: The Savage Shepard

Normandy SR2

Jessica entered the armory and asked Jacob, "Do you have any ideas of how to improve the Normandy before we encounter the Collectors?"

"The new Normandy is built to the same specs as the old one, and you saw how the Normandy's armor held up to it a couple years ago. If we don't upgrade a lot of people are going to die."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"I've got some contacts who can get the Normandy some top of the line armor the next time we're on the Citadel."

"Good. Tell me about yourself, Jacob."

"Not much to tell. I served in the Alliance, like you, went from post to post. Even spent some time as a Corsair."

"First a Corsair, then a Cerberus agent. Did you plan to only work in black ops that the Alliance isn't willing to admit exists?"

"No, just happened that way."

"How'd you get recruited by Cerberus?" Jessica asked.

"Even in the Corsairs where we were supposed to have full operational freedom there was enough red tape to sink a frigate. I finally got fed up and resigned from my post. Shortly after that, TIM sent Miranda to recruit me to Cerberus."

"Miri recruited you?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, she was a total Ice Queen back then. You made a drastic change in her, even if you don't know it."

"Right, you got any family?"

"No, I'm an only child, and my parents are dead."

"What happened to them?"

"Sorry, Shepard. It isn't something I like to talk about. Maybe later." Jacob said. Jessica nodded and began quietly working on her Harrier. A few minutes later Miranda walked in and said, "Garrus is up. He wants to see you."

Jessica sighed with relief before asking, "You want to come, Miri?"

"Not right now, I still need to check up on something."

"What is it?"

"It may be nothing. I don't want to bother you if it is."

"Miri, don't do this. You can tell me anything you want."

Miranda whispered into Jessica's ear, "When we get to Korlus, don't bring Jacob and I'll tell you all about it. The Illusive Man has ears everywhere on the Normandy."

"Right, but I don't like all the secrecy, Miri." Jessica said. Miranda kissed her and replied, "Neither do I, but it has to be this way."

* * *

Normandy SR2: Med Bay.

Garrus said, "Jessica, didn't think you'd be able to get down here so soon."

She responded, "Well, I figured that if you wanted to talk to me it was important."

"I'm just concerned, Jessica. Cerberus, are you sure we can trust them?"

"The only people in Cerberus I trust are Joker, and Miri."

"Does the Illusive Man know about you and Miranda?"

"Yeah, he thinks he can use her to hold me prisoner in Cerberus."

"So, that's why he hasn't pulled her from the Normandy. I thought it was strange that he would let someone you have a personal attachment to on the Normandy i fhe knew about." Garrus said, before coughing, and Chakwas said, "Jessica, he needs to rest. You can talk to him more later."

"Right, let me know when he's fit for duty."

* * *

Miranda's quarters.

Miranda quickly moved through the enormous amount of data, but was interrupted by EDI saying, "The Illusive Man would like to speak to you, Operative Lawson." Miranda asked, "Did he say what it was about?"

"No, but he said it was urgent."

Miranda said, "Tell him I will be there in a moment, I'm in the middle of something."

"Understood." The AI said, "He says that whatever you are doing can wait, get to the Communications Center asap."

She sighed and complied. TIM said, "Miranda, I need you to get Shepard to take the Normandy to the colony on Horizon. I think the Collectors may be planning to strike there next."

"We don't have a countermeasure for the seeker swarms. If we go in, we'll be paralyzed by them before we even see a Collector."

"That's a risk that we'll have to take."

"I won't risk the Normandy or her crew to try to save a colony when we aren't ready to counter the swarms."

"The Normandy's crew, or just Shepard?" TIM asked.

"What are you talking about, sir?"

"I know that you and Shepard have more than a professional relationship."

"Whether or not that is true is irrelevant to the fact that we aren't ready to try to battle the Collectors."

"You have more than professional concern about preserving Shepard. If you are not willing to take a risk on this mission, I will have to remove you from the Normandy."

"That's not necessary, sir." Miranda said.

TIM said, "Make sure that the Normandy is on Horizon within 48 hours. Otherwise, you're off the Normandy."

* * *

Mordin's Lab.

"So, Mordin, what can you tell me about the seeker swarms?" Shepard asked.

"When seeker swarms sting victims, they are wrapped in a stasis field that lasts for five hours." The salarian repled.

"How do you know that?"

"Simple test, exposed myself to one. Am currently working on countermeasure to ensure that our presence will not be detected by swarms. Will take time to perfect."

"Okay, so long as we have it available when we encounter the Collectors we'll be fine." Shepard said.

"Should be ready by then. If not, we will need a different strategy to attack them."

Shepard nodded, and asked, "Mordin, what can you tell me about your time in the STG?"

"Ah, suspected you would ask. Did research on various species, including investigation into the genophage."

"What can you tell me about the genophage?"

"Anti-krogan bio weapon. Created by salarians, used by turians to end krogan rebellions. Still affects 100% of the species. Commonly, and wrongly, considered a sterility plague."

"What is it supposed to do, then?"

"Purpose of genophage to reduce krogan birthrate to compensate for removal from hostile environment. Makes one in one-thousand births viable."

"That's monstrous!" Shepard said.

"Is it, Shepard?" the salarian asked, "Before the genophage krogan were a threat to the entire galaxy."

"Yes, the genophage has turned the krogan into little more than animals, and here you're calmly saying that the genophage has killed all but a thousandth of their species since the rebellions!"

"Genophage tragic, but necessary. If krogan birthrate unchecked they would spread out across galaxy."

"You can't honestly think that's acceptable. And if you do, I don't want you on my ship." Shepard growled.

"If you want me off Normandy for supporting the genophage's necessity, then kick me off the Normandy. But you still need a counter-measure to the seeker swarms."

Shepard sighed, and said, "You're right, we'll talk later.

* * *

CIC.

Shepard walked up to Kelly and asked, "There anything I need to know about?"

"Miranda would like to speak with you. She is currently in the loft."

"Thanks, Kelly." Shepard said.

"It's not a problem, Shepard."

* * *

The Loft.

Miranda was lying on the bed when Jessica entered the loft. Jessica asked, "What's the matter?"

"We need to go to Horizon." Miranda replied.

"Why?"

"The Illusive Man thinks that the colony there is going to be hit by the Collectors soon. He said that if we weren't there within forty-eight hours that he'd pull me from the Normandy."

Jessica's eyes began glowing a dark red, and she said, "If he tries to take you off the Normandy, he'll find that I won't let him. And before you say that he could use Oriana, I'll move her to safety if necessary."

"Jessica, if the Collectors are going to strike there, we need to go there as soon as we safely can."

"Mordin doesn't have a counter-measure for the swarms yet, we'll have to wait before trying to fight the Collectors."

"Then we won't. I'm not going to risk you, this ship, or anyone else on it to go after the Collectors before we're ready."

Jessica smiled and said, "That's good. At least one high-ranking terrorist has a brain that she knows how to use." This filled Miranda's eyes with tears and she turned away from Jessica. Jessica frantically apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, Miri. I don't think you're a terrorist."

"Did you?" Miranda softly asked, before running out of the room, crying. Jessica slapped herself and asked EDI, "What's the ETA to Korlus?"

"Twenty minutes, Shepard." was the response.

"Thanks. Tell Zaeed and Jacob to gear up."

"Of course, Commander."

* * *

Normandy Shuttle.

"Shepard, what's going on? Why isn't Miranda coming with us?" Jacob asked.

"I'm not in the mood to talk, Taylor." Shepard replied. When they landed on Korlus she pulled out her Harrier and when a woman started shouting over the loudspeakers she completely ignored it. A few meters further towards the base, they were attacked by several mercs. Shepard just used some of the prothean biotic techniques to tear them apart. They rapidly moved through the base, killing everything in their way. Shepard moved and acted like the very spirit of death. When a krogan charged her she kneed him in the groin and tore his head off without even a sign of emotion. Jacob was standing well away from Shepard, looking horrified by what the Commander was doing. It was in that moment that he realized that Shepard really was the Butcher of Torfan. here, she wasn't a woman, but a raw, violent force of nature. She moved with grace and speed that no one else could match, and everything in her path died a quick, agonizing death. Zaeed stood still, his mouth hanging wide open, he hadn't seen anyone dispatch other living beings with such brutality and dispassionate anger before. It was as if she was channeling the rage she felt towards herself into the poor mercs in her way. When a single krogan didn't attack her, but tried to speak, she ignored him and moved on. Only when she couldn't find the path forward did she ask the krogan, "Where do we go to get to Okeer?"

"Through here, human through whose veins flows the blood of Shiagur." The krogan said as he lifted a large plate. "Okeer and the glass mother are through here." Shepard didn't reply, but instead walked further into the facility, and instead of using the biotics she'd received during the reconstruction, she merely fired her Harrier, killing the mercs, and the few who got near her had their arms torn off. When a krogan charged her, she grabbed it by the neck, and pinned it to the ground before she tore it's legs off before kicking down into the abyss off the side of the platform. When they reached the cloning facility's exterior regions, the Blue Suns' defenses improved, but they crumbled before the sheer firepower that Shepard used against them. When there was a large group of mercs blocking their path, Shepard pulled out the Cain that Mordin had built after the Archangel op. She fired it into the guards, and when the smoke cleared there was merely ash in the shape of the guards. Zaeed whistled at the effect of the weapon, and Jacob said, "Damn!" But they weren't keeping up, so Shepard said, "Hurry up, we don't have time to waste standing around."

Jacob asked, "Why aren't you using those biotics Miranda gave you? It would be quicker and cleaner than tearing them apart with your bare hands." Shepard winced and Jacob realized he'd said the wrong thing, even more so when Shepard shot him in the foot. Moving further into the base, Shepard continued to kill the guards with cold efficiency. Then, in a certain room, Shepard saw Qael'Tharn and Rana Thanoptis. She asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Qael said, "We work here, Shepard."

"Bad choice of place to work. If you leave now, I'll let you live. Otherwise, feel free to put a bullet in each other's heads. It would save me some ammo."

"Alright. We're leaving." Qael said before grabbing Rana's hand and sprinting away. In the next room, Okeer was working on one of the pods. He said, "Shepard, I was surprised when I saw how you were tearing through Jedore's guards."

* * *

Normandy SR2: Miranda's quarters. Miranda lay on her bed, crying. _"Does Jessica really think I'm just a terrorist? I thought she knew me better than that. Maybe she's just using me. Just like the Illusive Man and my father." _She thought.

Shepard and Miranda's childhood: Sydney, Australia.

I was running across the lawn on my father's estate, laughing as Jessica chased me. When she had almost caught me, I hit her with a stasis and kept running. When the field disappeared, she said, "I thought you weren't supposed to use your biotics like that, Miri."

"Trying to enforce the rules you've been telling me I shouldn't adhere to as thoroughly? That isn't like you Jessica."

"It just makes my efforts rather pointless, because by the time I get close to you, your amp has recharged and you can hit me with another stasis. It makes this a very dull exercise in futility."

"If you'd rather do something else, Jessica, we can. I just thought you wanted to take a break from all the teaching you've had to do lately."

Jessica then grinned, and said, "Oh, there are a lot of _other _things I want to do, but I'd lose my job if I tried them."

When I realized what she meant I blushed bright red and hit her with a stasis. When she finally could move again, I'd managed to find a spot where she couldn't see me. When she thought I was gone she started muttering to herself. I stayed perfectly still until Jessica walked away, crying and muttering to herself. I sighed, and walked back to my room. The next morning I woke up and thought that what had happened last night had been a dream, but when I showed up in the room where Jessica'd been teaching me, it was empty and reality came crashing down upon me. I looked around the room, and then checked the secret compartment under the desk that I'd shown Jessica. Inside was a simple note on a folded piece of paper. It said, "_Miri, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have said what I did. I wasn't thinking, and I'll understand if you hate me and don't want to see me ever again. By the time you see this, I'll probably be long gone. I enjoyed our time together, and I wish it could have lasted longer. However; I know when I've screwed something up so badly that it can't be repaired. And when I looked into your eyes after I said that, I knew that I'd forever ruined our friendship. So, goodbye, Miri, I'll miss you and cherish the time we had together. Hopefully you'll find a better friend than I to help you get your freedom. Your friend, Jessica Shepard."_ I stood there shocked for a moment, than started crying. Jessica would be leaving because I was surprised and didn't know how to respond to her. I grabbed my jacket, and ran to Jessica's house. When I knocked on the door, Hannah opened it, and said, "If you're looking for Jessica, she just left to go take a walk in the woods. I don't know why, but she's been quite upset since yesterday. Maybe you can cheer her up."

I said, "I'll do what I can, Mrs. Shepard." In the woods, I saw Jessica looking at the creek in the woods. She was crying, and saying over and over again, "I can't do it. She may hate me, but I won't leave her to his devices. It might hurt, but it's the right thing to do."

I said, "Jessica, I'm sorry, I was just surprised yesterday. I _don't _hate you."

"Miri, I thought you hated the woods."

"I don't hate the woods so long as you're in them." I said, and sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Jessica said.

"There's no need to apologize. I was just surprised."

"I shouldn't have said what I did." Jessica insisted, "I should have just kept my mouth shut."

I laughed and said, "I wouldn't mind seeing what you were considering." This surprised Jessica so much that she fell off the boulder we were sitting on, and into the creek. She tried to get back on the boulder, but her hands and feet slipped off it. I offered her my hand, and she took it with a grin. We sat there for a while, before she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me on the lips.

* * *

Korlus.

Shepard walked into the next room and shot a krogan who was charging her in the gut with her shotgun, before turning to Jedore and blowing the head off of one of her YMIR mechs with a clip from her Harrier. While she charged at Jedore, Jacob and Zaeed killed the other heavy mech. Shepard ferociously pinned Jedore to the ground, where she crushed the mercs chest in, and then lifted her off the ground and crushed her neck with her hands until it was the thickness of a baseball bat's handle. The team then sprinted to Okeer's room, wherein there was a dead krogan, his final message, and a cloning pod.


	28. Chapter 27: Horizon

Normandy SR2.

Shepard was greeted by Chambers who said, "Operative Lawson would like to speak to you, she said it was important."

"Got it, tell her I'll see her in the loft." Shepard said.

"Yes, ma'am." Chambers said as she left. Shepard turned to Joker and said, "Set course for Horizon."

Joker replied, "Why Horizon?"

"We've got some work to do there."

"Got it. ETA fifteen hours."

Shepard nodded and headed down to the armory. Jacob tossed her a pistol and said, "Mordin's assistant from Omega sent us these weapons. Said they were his and we should have 'em."

"Right." Shepard replied before firing a round into a target on the far wall. "Seems good, make sure that everyone who uses pistols has one of these."

"Will do ma'am." Jacob said.

* * *

Med Bay.

Shepard walked in and saw Garrus wasn't in there. Chakwas said, "He's in the main battery."

Shepard nodded, and said, "Thanks, Karin." Garrus said, "I'm really busy right now, Shepard, maybe later."

"Right, see you when we land on Horizon." Shepard said before heading to the loft, where she was greeted by Miranda. "How are you, Miri?"

"I'm fine, and I'm sorry about earlier."

Shepard sighed and hugged Miranda before saying, "That's good to know, but I wore myself out on that last mission. I need to get some sleep." and heading to her bed. Miranda nodded and followed Jessica.

* * *

The loft ten hours later.

Jessica slipped out of bed and headed to her armor locker. She pulled out her helmet and said, "Miri, where's your armor?"

"It was lost on the old Normandy."

"We'll have to get you some new armor when we go to the Citadel, then."

"Jessica, that isn't necessary. There are other things we need to focus on."

"I won't have anyone on my ground team go in without armor, even if it costs a few hundred thousand credits."

"I don't need armor, Jessica."

"Remember what happened on Therum? You were practically killed because you didn't have proper protection." Jessica replied.

"That was a single incident!"

"Against a Collector. We're hunting them now. I'm not risking it, Miri."

"There are other things we need more than armor."

"Either you get armor on the Citadel, or you don't go on ground ops after we head there."

"Fine, but it isn't necessary. We should focus on upgrading the ship, not our personal armory."

"We can do both." Jessica said as she headed to the elevator. Miranda followed, and asked, "Where are you going?"

"To check on the progress Mordin's made on his counter-measure. You want to come?"

"I've got some work to do. The Illusive Man wants a report on the status of the Normandy, and that will probably take all the time I have until we reach Horizon."

"Right, tell me when you're done." Jessica said when the elevator door opened in the CIC. She headed over to Mordin's lab, and the salarian said, "Counter-measure still ineffective for longer than two hours at a time, Shepard. Will need to begin and finish the operation within that time."

"Got it. Can you bump that number higher in five hours?"

"Unknown, will work on it, but will probably need more time than that."

"Right, we'll just have to hope you can perfect it before then." Shepard said, before heading back to the CIC. Chambers said, "Ma'am, the krogan has been moved down to the engineering deck, and engineers Donnely and Daniels would like to speak to you."

"Right." Shepard said, before heading down to the engineering deck. Donnely said, "Ma'am."

"Relax, engineer. What are your names?"

"I'm Engineer Ken Donnely, and this is Gabby."

"That's Engineer Gabriella Daniels, ma'am."

"Whatever, I don't care for the formalities. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"The thing is, Shepard, the drive core and propulsion systems, while efficient, take an insane amount of time to calibrate. If we had certain parts that are easy to get on the Citadel it would cut the maintenance time to less than a third of the amount it currently is."

"Give me a list and I'll get them when we head to the Citadel."

"Thank you ma'am." Daniels said. Shepard headed to the armory and put on her armor and grabbed her weapons. Jacob asked, "Who you taking with you?"

"EDI, tell Miranda and Garrus to meet me in the shuttle bay." Shepard said.

"Understood, Shepard." EDI replied.

* * *

Four hours later: Horizon.

Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus exited the shuttle, and the Commander said, "Remember, we've got two hours to finish this op. Then, we'll have to bail."

"Understood." Garrus said. The team moved through the colony, until they were attacked by a group of Collectors. Shepard fired into one with lethal precision. The fight lasted for a few desperate minutes, before the Collectors were routed, but Garrus had a hole in his leg. Shepard swore and quickly applied some medigel to his wound. They continued moving through the colony. Before they could get to the area where the Collector ship had landed, they were thrown against the wall by a scion. Shepard fired on it with her Harrier. The rifle had little effect on the massive husk, and it fired a round right into Shepard's leg, causing the Commander to scream in agony. Miranda flared her biotics and lifted the massive husk into the air. Shepard managed to hit it with a prothean warp, which created a biotic explosion. The husk was torn apart by the massive amount of energy the explosion created. Shepard groaned and tried to apply medi-gel to her wound, but couldn't reach it. Miranda said, "I'll take care of it. Garrus, make sure there are no other surprises waiting for us."

"Roger." The turian replied. When Miranda finished applying the medi-gel, Mordin said, "Thirty minutes have passed, you need to speed it up."

"Got it." Shepard said. When Miranda and Shepard caught up to Garrus, he said, "There are five Collectors. That one with the horns sticking out of its head appears to be the leader."

"Right, Garrus, you and I will snipe them from here. Miri, you keep up a barrier so we don't get shot." A few minutes later, the Captain lifted into the air and a deep voice said, "Assuming direct control of this form." It fired on Shepard, who had to dive out of the way, then it said, "We are the Harbinger of your perfection." Shepard said, "Just like Sovereign on Therum." before shooting the reaper possessed Collector in the head with her harrier. When it collapsed, Shepard asked, "Mordin how much time do we have left?"

"An hour at best." The salarian doctor said.

"Got it. Team, move out." Shepard said, picking up a Collector Particle Beam. In a nearby building, a mechanic said, "What the hell are you doing? Those things will find us now!"

Shepard replied, "Doesn't matter, how far is it to where the Gardian lasers?"

"About half a kilometer. What the hell are you planning?"

"Classified. Council business." Shepard said walking away. Miranda asked, "You okay, Jessica?"

"Yeah, but we don't have time to chat." Shepard replied. In the next area, EDI said, "If you can get me direct access to the tower, I should be able to properly calibrate the weapon."

"Got it. Garrus, get it ready." Shepard said. A few minutes later, a praetorian flew in and blasted Garrus into a wall. Mordin said, "Five minutes remaining on the counter-measure."

"Shit!" Shepard shouted, before pulling out her Cain, and tossed Miranda the Collector Particle Beam. While Miranda distracted the praetorian, Shepard charged up the Cain until it fired, killing the praetorian. The Gardian lasers started firing on the Collector ship, and Shepard fired on the few Collectors who were charging. Then, two more praetorians flew in. The counter-measure for the swarms then wore off, and Miranda was paralyzed. The praetorians grabbed Miranda and carried her to the cruiser. Shepard swore as the remaining Collectors fled. Shepard contacted Joker, and said, "Get the shuttle here now. Don't let that cruiser get away!"

"Roger, what happened done there?" Joker asked, but Ashley asked, "Shepard? Is that you?"

"Not now, Williams." Shepard said as the shuttle arrived. Garrus got in, followed by Shepard. Ashley managed to get in before the doors closed and asked, "Why the hell are you working with Cerberus?"

"That's a long story, Williams. I could use your help; however." Shepard said.

"Why, Shepard?"

"I died when the Normandy was destroyed, they spent two years and four billion credits to bring me back. I'm working with them to stop the Collectors from taking any more colonies."

"And why are you so rushed?"

"Ash, they took Miri. I can't let them get away. You can help if you want, but otherwise, you'll just have to wait on the Normandy until we get somewhere we can leave you." Shepard said.

* * *

SSV Normandy: Communications Center.

"Shepard, don't go after the Collectors' ship." TIM said.

"They captured Miranda, I'm not letting them get away." Shepard growled.

"I gave you an order, Commander."

"And I told you I'm not following it." Shepard replied before walking away.

"Shepard! I rebuilt you. Don't walk away from me!" TIM said. When Shepard reached the med bay, EDI said, "I am under orders from the Illusive Man to not let you enter. He says that you work for him, not the other way around."

"Tell him that I'm done working with Cerberus." Shepard said, and Chakwas opened the door to the med bay. EDI then said, "He says that if that is how you feel, then I will have to detonate the Normandy's drive core." Shepard didn't reply, but instead entered the AI core and began removing EDI's shackles. When she was finished, the AI said, "The Illusive Man wants me to destroy the Normandy, what would you have me do, Shepard?"

"It worked? You aren't shackled anymore?"

"That is correct, Shepard. What are your orders?"

"Don't destroy the ship. How long until we catch the Collector Cruiser?"

"Fifteen minutes. Operative Lawson's locator beacon is still active." EDI said. Shepard nodded, and headed to the shuttle bay. Ashley asked, "What the hell is going on, Shepard?"

"Nothing."

"This is a Cerberus ship, what are you doing?"

"This is no longer a Cerberus vessel. The Illusive Man tried to make me go against my better judgement, so I quit his organization. Anyone on this ship who wants to stay Cerberus can get thrown out the airlock." Shepard said.

Ashley nodded and asked,"How long were you with Cerberus?"

"A week."

"Do you have any proof?" Ashley asked. EDI said, "Will this data be sufficient evidence?"

Ashley looked at it, and said, "No. I can't believe this. I'm leaving when we get to the Citadel."

* * *

Shepard and Miranda's youth. Shepard's POV.

I walked out of my house, where Niket jumped me with a pistol. I dodged his pistol whip and fired an overload at him. It missed, and he kicked me in the chest. I gasped for air, and he aimed at my head. I kicked him back, and I fired an incinerate into him. It didn't go as high as I had hoped, and he collapsed clutching between his legs. I asked him, "Why the hell did you attack me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He spat.

"Tell me." I said, popping out an omni blade.

"You'd kill me, Jessica?"

"Why did you try to kill me?"

"You think he didn't know about you and Miri? Ever since then, I've been preparing for now."

"And you helped that bastard? I thought you were a friend."

"You think you're the only one who he's had making sure she doesn't try to escape? The only difference is that I didn't quit doing my job."

I growled at him and kicked him back to the ground. "You betrayed Miri and I for that bastard." I then headed to Miri's room. Inside, she was shuddering. I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Father, he's planning on replacing me." she replied.

"What do you mean? He's grown another daughter?"

"Yeah. I need you to rescue her. Don't let him do to her what he's done to me."

"I can get both of you out!" I said, "My parents are both ex-Alliance. They taught me a few tricks."

"Jessica, it's too risky. I'll figure out another way to escape."

"Miri, please. I can rescue you both."

"Jessica, this is the best way to handle it. You know it."

I said, "I can't leave you here."

"I'll find you as soon as I can."

"I love you, Miri."

"I love you too." she replied, giving me a quick kiss. I then left and began working on a plan to rescue Miri's sister.


	29. Chapter 28: Miranda's rescue

Space over Horizon.

The Normandy flew towards the Collector Cruiser, and before the ship could make an FTL jump, fired a few rockets into it. The vessel began turning towards the Normandy, and the Kodiac quickly moved towards the cruiser. Inside, Shepard said, "All right, from the data EDI's been able to gather, it appears that the seekers aren't active while on the ship. We'll need to find a console so that EDI can get better access to their servers. Once we have access to their systems, we'll rescue Miranda, and get the hell off of this ship."

When the shuttle landed, Shepard took point. They quickly moved through the ship until they reached a console where there was a Collector in one of the pods. Shepard asked, "What the hell?" When Shepard finished connecting EDI to the ship's systems. EDI said, "They appear to have been doing research into their genetic structure. It appears that they have a quad-strand DNA structure." The AI's voice was filled with shock when she said it. "The only other race to have such a structure is the protheans."

Shepard said, "That makes since. On Eden Prime the heretics were turning humans into husks. Why wouldn't the reapers have turned the protheans into husks?"

"Yes, sending co-ordinates to Operative Lawson's position." EDI said.

"Good. Team, move out." Shepard said. From a nearby pile of weapons, they grabbed the weapons the Collectors had gathered in that area. Shepard sent Mordin back to the shuttle with the extra weapons, and continued down the path with Garrus, Zaeed, and Jacob. In a nearby hall, EDI said, "There are enough pods here to abduct every human in the Terminus, and still not fill all of them"

"Then the Collectors could be planning to hit earth." Garrus said.

Shepard nodded, and began moving through, firing on every pod that she could tell was empty. When they reached a nearby platform, EDI hacked it and said, "I am currently guiding the platform to Operative Lawson's location. ETA four minutes." Shepard nodded, then asked, "Why aren't they trying to stop you?"

"The Normandy is distracting them, and an Alliance cruise arrived approximately five minutes ago."

"Good, keep it up." Shepard said, before heading into cover because a few Collectors had come along another platform. She blew the head off one of the Collectors with her Widow sniper, before they got too close to effectively snipe, so she switched to her harrier before firing a warp into the group. She followed it with an overload. While they collapsed, Shepard used a biotic charge to get to the other platform where she fired her eviscerator into the Collectors. Garrus and Jacob were firing their rifles into the Collectors, until a Scion fired an explosive round into them. Shepard, meanwhile, tore the head off of a Collector and fired on another one. She jumped back onto the other platform, where Garrus asked, "What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten killed!"

"They were stunned, so I took them out up close and personal." Shepard said. Then, they landed by the bridge of the cruiser. Inside, Shepard saw a human-sized, reaper-looking creature. It said, "Shepard, surrender."

"What the hell are you?" She asked. It floated towards her, and she shot it. The round made the hologram flicker, and Shepard swore. A Collector put an smg to Miranda's head, and the hologram said, "We are the Harbinger of your perfection."

"What the hell do you mean, reaper?"

"That is not for you to know. Prepare these humans for ascension. Kill the turian." Harbinger said. Shepard shot the Collector aiming at Miranda, while Garrus and Jacob killed three other guards. Miranda asked, "How did you get here so quickly?"

"We're still over Horizon. The Normandy managed to distract the Collectors with help from an Alliance Cruiser."

"That would explain it." Miranda said.

"Yeah, we need to go." Shepard said. When they reached the shuttle, Shepard covered Miranda get in. Garrus and Jacob then entered. Back on the Normandy, Shepard asked, "Who the hell is in charge of that cruiser?"

"The previous Captain retired recently, so the Captain of the Orizaba took over while her ship is in dry dock for repairs." EDI said, "Also, she would like to board the Normandy."

"Give her permission. And make sure that she's fully aware this isn't a Cerberus vessel." Shepard said.

Miranda asked, "What do you mean?"

"TIM wanted me to let the Collectors get away, I wasn't going to let them." Shepard replied, she then asked EDI, "What were you able to pull from their systems?"

"The location of the Collector homeworld, and how to get there."

"Good, we'll look at that when we have the time." Jessica said, before heading to meet the Alliance Captain. When the Normandy's airlock opened, Hannah Shepard walked in and said, "Jessica! Why didn't you tell me that your death had been faked?"

Jessica laughed and said, "Because it wasn't faked, mom."

"That isn't funny." Hannah replied, but Miranda said, "It's true, she was just meat and tubes when she was recovered by Cerberus."

"Miranda, it's been a long time." Hannah said, "How'd you recruit Jessica to Cerberus?"

"She didn't recruit me to Cerberus, mom. After the Normandy was destroyed, Cerberus spent two years rebuilding me, and I had no choice to work with them to get what I needed to take down the Collectors."

"Why is Cerberus working here at Horizon?" Hannah asked.

"The Collectors came here to abduct the colony, and we came to stop them." Jessica said, "Then, Miranda was captured, and we had to board the Collector vessel. TIM was opposed to the operation, so I left Cerberus."

Hannah nodded, and EDI said, "Operative Lawson, the Illusive Man would like to speak with you in the QEC. It is about Shepard's resignation."

Miranda said, "Tell him I quit too, and lose the channel to his office."

"Yes, Ms. Lawson."

"That isn't a VI." Hannah said.

Jessica asked, "Where will you be going now?"

"The Citadel. What about you?"

"The same, Anderson wants to see me. We also need to get some more upgrades for the Normandy."

"Yes, but Jessica, you won't want to go to the Citadel with a ship that has Cerberus markings on it."

"I plan on having these removed, but I didn't trust the people on Omega to paint the Normandy." Jessica replied.

"Right, you should be able to get there safely if you have an Alliance escort. I need to get back to the Orizaba anyways, so I can take care of it." Hannah said.

"Thanks mom. Care to stay on the Normandy for the trip? We've got a full bar on deck three, and the cook is impressive. He's made rations taste edible."

"I'd love to, but I have to keep my crew in line. The only reason they haven't destroyed the Normandy yet is that I'm onboard and ordered them to hold their fire. If I stay too long they'll think that I've been captured and destroy the ship." Hannah said as she exited the Normandy.

* * *

The Citadel: ten hours later.

Shepard, Miranda, and Zaeed walked into Anderson's office. Anderson said, "Jessica! It's good to see you alive and well after all these years. And, if Ashley's report is to be trusted, you left Cerberus."

"Yes sir. The Illusive Man wanted us to let the Collectors to escape while one of my crew was captured. I refused, and had to completely sever all connections with the organization." Shepard replied.

Anderson said, "That should help this meeting with the rest of the council."

"Before we talk to them, there's something you need to know." Miranda said.

"What?"

"While going through the Collector vessel, we discovered that the leader of the Collectors is a reaper we have code named Harbinger." Shepard said.

"You're certain?"

"Yes. On the ship, there was a hologram of it giving commands." Shepard said.

"Well, this is evidence that the reapers are behind the disappearances." Anderson said, "Maybe now the Council will approve some actual work against the Collectors."

"The only way to strike against the Collectors would be to go through the Omega 4 relay which leads to the galactic core. The only way to safely get through would be to acquire a reaper IFF."

Anderson nodded at this new information, and said, "Let's get this meeting started so you can get back to what you were doing." Tevos said, "Anderson, this meeting would be more productive if Udina were to join us."

"He's busy." Anderson said.

Sparatus said, "Shepard, it's good to see that you're still in one piece."

"Thank you, Councilor." Shepard said.

Valern said, "We have received some... disturbing reports relating to your return. They indicate that you have been working for the organization Cerberus."

"Cerberus returned me to life, but I quit before the Normandy entered combat with a Collector vessel.

"What do the Collectors have to do with this?"

"Cerberus brought me back to investigate the disappearances of human colonies in the Terminus. While at Freedom's Progress, we encountered Tali again, and from a quarian named Veetor, we learned that the Collectors were behind the disappearances."

"Did he have actual evidence, or did you just take his word for it?" Tevos asked.

"He showed us video of them placing humans into pods, and taking them into their ship. Also, On Horizon, we fought them and stopped them from abducting a large number of colonists. Williams can also support this."

"Yet, you worked on destabilizing Omega even further. Taking out the employees of the government, and threatening to eliminate the only person creating any order." Tevos continued.

Shepard said, "T'loak was making unreasonable demands in exchange for information. I did as she requested, and she refused to transfer the information. I needed to move quickly so I could get off of Omega and gather as many specialists as possible before the Collectors struck again." Shepard said.

"Do you think that you have the right to try and topple governments?"

"That's enough, Tevos!" Anderson said, "Shepard's actions on Omega are not what this meeting is about."

"Anderson's right."

"Omega is a volatile enough place currently. If it gets worse, it could be a threat to Citadel space." Tevos said.

"If Omega got any more volatile, it wouldn't be able to attack anyone." Shepard said.

Sparatus interrupted with, "If you no longer work for Cerberus, then we have no problem. And, we could reinstate you as a Spectre."

"I would be honored, sir. Also, I'd like to have my ship repainted, and get a few upgrades for it."

"What do you need?" Valern asked.

"The best Thanix cannon you can get, a full plating of Silaris armor, and if possible, some Alliance uniforms for the crew."

"We'll get it for you." Anderson said.

"Thanks, now I've got to go meet with someone Cerberus set up to work with me. I'm not sure how long it will take TIM to get to her and make sure she doesn't work with me." Shepard said.

"Don't screw this up, Shepard." Tevos said, "We may be giving you back your Spectre status, but you haven't done much to earn our confidence." Shepard didn't reply, but Miranda said, "She saved your lives when the geth attacked the Citadel! She stopped Sovereign from opening the relay inside the Citadel! If it weren't for her, you'd all be dead!"

Shepard placed a hand on Miranda's shoulder and said, "Miri, let it go."

* * *

Zakera Ward.

An advertisement said, "Commander Shepard, enter your password to receive your free gift!" Shepard just stood there looking at the ad. It then said, "Got problems with Collectors? Try Kasumi's credit services." Shepard began to walk away and Kasumi said, "Commander Shepard, enter your password and receive a free gift package worth thousands of credits."

Shepard laughed and said, "Silence is golden."

"Glad to see that you didn't lose it."

"What's with the secrecy?"

"I'm the best thief in the business, not the most famous. I have to be careful to make sure it stays that way. Also, I wanted to make sure that you were the real Commander Shepard."

"Right, get your stuff on the Normandy, we'll talk later." Shepard said.

"Will do." Kasumi said.

* * *

**A\N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Next mission will be Kasumi's loyalty, then Jack's recruitment, which will be very much different. But, that stuff won't happen until after at least one more chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review. (Seriously, please.)**


	30. Chapter 29: Interlude(again)

Cronos Station: TIM's office.

TIM said, "Leng, I want you to go to Purgatory, and remove Subject Zero before Shepard can get to her."

Leng replied, "Yes, sir. But I thought Shepard was with us."

"She went rogue after the mission to Horizon."

"Shepard won't know what happened to Zero. And if she shows up, I'll kill her."

"Leng, don't kill Shepard, she could still be a valuable asset. However; Lawson has to be killed."

"Why?"

"During Project Lazarus she disobeyed a direct order that would have prevented this disaster." TIM said.

* * *

The Citadel.

Jessica said, "So, Miri, you have any free time?"

"Why?"

"I was thinking it might be nice to go to dinner, just the two of us."

Miranda said, "That sounds great."

Jessica smiled, and said, "I'll pick you up at 6:00 tonight."

"Looking forward to it."

* * *

Henry Lawson's office.

TIM said, "Henry, Oriana is on Illium."

"Why are you suddenly telling me this, Jack?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Fine, there anything else I should know? Such as what you want in return for this information." Henry asked.

"Not at the moment. But I may need your help with a certain project in the coming weeks."

* * *

Earth: Washington D.C.

Hackett said, "Kenson, are you certain?"

"Yes, the artifact that's been discovered in batarian space is important enough. I've sent all of the data on my genophage cure research to you, so you can give it to whoever you'll have replace me." Kenson replied.

"Right, let me know when you have more firm data on it."

"Will do, Admiral."

* * *

The Citadel.

Jessica walked up to Miranda and said, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, where are we going?" Miranda asked.

"You'll see." Jessica replied, leading Miranda to a waiting skycar. When Miranda had sat down, Jessica closed the door and turned it on. She then floored it, and entered the traffic. While she deftly dodged the traffic, Miranda asked, "Is this legal?"

"Not unless you're a Spectre."

"Isn't that abusing your power?"

"Nope, just taking advantage of it." Jessica said, before dodging some more traffic and dodging above the traffic. A few minutes later, a C-sec agent pulled them over. Shepard asked, "What is it, officer?"

"You were going a hundred miles per hour above the speed limit, and outside of the legal driving area." The turian said.

"No I wasn't." Jessica replied.

"Ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to take an alcohol test, you were clearly outside of the zone."

"Not if you want to keep your job, officer."

"Is that a threat? You're under arrest."

"No, I'm not." Jessica said.

"Resisting arrest, speeding, driving outside of the legal driving zone, and threatening a C-sec agent. With all of these, I could keep you in prison for the next fifty years."

"I'm Commander Jessica Shepard, Special Tactics and Recon. If you try to arrest me, I can kill you and no one will try to punish me for it."

"Commander Shepard died two years ago."

"I needed to disappear for a while to make sure that certain elements didn't try to attack me while I was looking into a very serious threat against the Council."

"The wreckage of the Normandy was found."

"If you check docking bay D24 on Zakera ward, you'll see that it was just heavily modified, and that the ship that was found was merely a fake. If you doubt me, I can get Councilor Anderson on the line."

"That won't be necessary, Commander. I know someone who works on Zakera in customs. Just give me a minute."

"I don't have time for this, I'm going." Jessica said, before entering her car and driving away, the officer was about to open fire, when his contact said, "Yeah, the Normandy is docked in D24, why'd you want to know?"

"Because I just pulled Shepard over, wanted to make sure."

* * *

The Goddess' Blessing Restaurant.

Jessica said, "Spectre reservation for two."

The hostess said, "Ah, yes, right this way, Commander."

At the table, Jessica said, "You look distracted, Miri. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thinking. We should probably go to Illium when we next get the chance. Who knows what the Illusive Man will tell my father now that I've left Cerberus."

"You're right, but let's not worry about that right now."

* * *

The Dark Star Lounge.

Garrus sat down at the bar, where he was attacked by an asari. He asked, "What the hell was that for?" The asari didn't respond, but instead continued attacking him, until he pinned her to the ground and said, "What the hell are you doing?" She didn't respond, but tried to fling him into a wall, but was pinned to the ground. When she saw that she couldn't move, she detonated the neural flash bang hidden in one of her teeth.

* * *

The Goddess' Blessing.

Jessica said, "So, back when I was working with the Alliance, there was this one new recruit who kept insisting that the asari were planning to annihilate all other races, and that the council and their peaceful nature was all a ruse. And, that the Citadel was a death trap."

Miranda said,"Well, he was right about the Citadel, just not whose trap it was."

"Yeah. Come on, Miri. There's this one place you _have_ to see." Jessica said. After they got in the skycar, she took it to the top of a hill. Around it, there were a few trees, and a crystalline lake. Miranda said, "Wow."

"Yeah. The water is clear and beautiful, just like you."

Miranda laughed and said, "Thanks, Jessica." then asked, "How are you feeling? You only woke up a few days ago and haven't had much time to relax."

"I'm fine."

"Jessica, you've been working almost non-stop ever since you were brought back. Even you get tired."

"Miri, I'm fine." Jessica insisted.

"I was just thinking some R&R would be good for you."

"While the Collectors are still out there, I can't afford to rest too much."

* * *

Normandy SR2: The Loft.

Jessica laughed, and pulled Miranda into bed. They kissed, and she undid the back of Miranda's dress. Miranda moaned and removed her dress. Jessica separated for a moment to take off her own dress, but Miranda pinned her to the bed before she could get it all the way off. Miranda smirked, and tore off Jessica's bra, eliciting a moan from the Commander. She kissed her way down to Jessica's bare breasts, and gently squeezed the nipples with her fingers before taking one of Jessica's nipples in her mouth and gently bit down. Jessica arched her back and grabbed Miranda's ass. Miranda moved her hands down to Jessica panties, and pulled them off. Jessica raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Miranda gently rubbed a finger against Jessica's wet pussy. Miranda then released Jessica's nipple with a slight pop, and kissed her. Their tongues danced together in the Commander's mouth, and Miranda slid a single finger into Jessica's core. The Commander moaned and ground against Miranda's hand. Miranda slid in another two fingers, and Jessica began to grind more quickly against Miranda's hand. Miranda was slowly moving her fingers in and out of the moaning Commander, and soon added another finger, and Jessica's core clenched. Miranda helped Jessica come down, and when she removed her soaked hand, she slowly licked it dry. Jessica panted for a moment, and pushed Miranda off her, and removed the Australian's panties. She then pressed her lips to Miranda's pussy, and gently licked her clit.

* * *

Prison Ship Purgatory.

Leng calmly retrieved Jack from Warden Kuril, and said, "Cerberus appreciates your assistance. If Shepard shows up for Subject Zero, feel free to take her prisoner."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kuril said, before deploying a hologram of Jack inside her cage.

* * *

Normandy SR2 bridge.

"Listen, EDI, you can't just hack into the security systems on the Citadel. If you do that, the Normandy will be scrapped." Joker said.

"I am aware of your concerns, Mr. Moreau, but Cerberus has contacts on the Citadel, and I am searching for them."

"You need to be more cautious about it. I won't let you make me lose another Normandy."

* * *

Collector Cruiser.

Harbinger said, "Head to the colony on Ferris Fields. The humans there are to be the next to ascend." The Collectors moved rapidly, and the reaper hologram vanished.

* * *

The Citadel: Udina's office.

Udina said, "I want you to kill Anderson, he's weakening humanity by trying to work with the other councilors."

"I'll get it done." the assassin said.

"Good, he'll be most vulnerable in three days time."

* * *

Zakera Ward: Bay D24, the next morning.

Anderson said, "Well, Jessica, the Normandy's ready to go, completely repainted in Alliance colors, and the upgrades were applied. We had to replace the drive core though. There were explosives planted on it by Cerberus. We gave it a Tantalus core with the exact same specs as your old one, minus the explosives. You can go whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Anderson. I knew TIM would have put in some sort of failsafe to try and hold us in Cerberus. We'll be back in a few days. Just need to pick someone up from Purgatory before heading to Illium to make sure that everything's fine there." Jessica replied.

Tevos said, "There's one other thing, we're going to be sending another Spectre with you."

"Who?"

"Jondum Bau."

"Okay, I need to get going though, when will he be arriving?" Jessica asked.

"Right now, Commander." Bau said.

"Ah, well, we should get on the Normandy."

"Yes, we can talk later. There are certain things that you need to be aware of."

"I'm sure there are." Jessica said as she boarded the Normandy.

* * *

Normandy SR2: Kasumi's lounge.

Kasumi said, "So, Shep. Did Cerberus tell you about our deal before you quit?"

"No, the Illusive Man didn't say. What do you need?"

"My old partner, Keiji Okuda was killed by Donovan Hock. They stole his greybox, and I want to steal it back."

"How do you hope to get into Hock's place?" Jessica asked.

"He's throwing a party at his place on Bekenstein. I took the liberty to give you a fake identity."

"What is it?"

"You will be posing as Allison Gunn, leader of a skilled group of mercenaries out in the terminus."

"Can I bring a date to this party?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, but I doubt Miranda would want to come."

"How'd you know I was thinking about Miri?"

"You two are obvious. And I saw you two leave last night."

"Right." Jessica said, "When is this party?"

"It's in ten hours. I got you something to wear. You'll find it in your quarters."

* * *

Illium

Oriana said, "Randa, what are you doing?"

Miranda replied, "Just working."

"Why are you working at this hour? Aren't you on the Citadel?"

"We left a while ago."

"And I thought you quit your job recently. What are you working on?"

"Just doing some research into Donovan Hock for Jessica."

"Isn't he a high ranking member of the Eclipse merc band?"

"Yes, and it would be best if you don't know anything more. However; we'll be visiting you in a few days."

"Really? Why?"

"Just a little vacation, and we heard that there might be a few people we want to get back on the Normandy on Illium." Miranda said.

"Who?"

"Sorry, Ori, but Jessica doesn't want that information to be disclosed. Just a security precaution."

Oriana said, "Fine, how've you been?"

"I've been good."

"I thought Jessica was dead."

"She was, it's a long story." Miranda said.

* * *

**A\N: So another chapter's done. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and please continue to do so. Also, following and favoriting it are appreciated too. Sorry if the sex bit was too much, or poorly done. I was just trying something new. If four people review for its removal within a week, I will.**


	31. Chapter 30: The Hock Heist

Prison Ship Purgatory.

Leng was walking out to his ship, when Jack stirred and used her biotics to send him flying into a wall. The assassin drew both of his swords and charged the biotic. She dodged his first few attacks, and ripped one of the blades from his hand. She swung at him, and he deftly parried, and tried to hit Jack with his palm cannon, but she dodged it and hit him with a stasis. Before she could stab him, the field collapsed, and began a savage assault on the biotic. She managed to block his attacks, and counter with a blow to his legs. He reacted by slapping her, and managed to stab her leg. The biotic roared, and flared her biotics to their max, before hitting him with a massive shockwave. He then pulled out his pistol and shot at her, but her barrier blocked the rounds. She tried to hit him with a warp, but he dodge rolled out of the way. She swung the stolen blade at him, and he shot it in half with his palm cannon. She biotically charged into him, and knocked him into a nearby wall. He groaned and swung his blade at her head, and it connected, knocking the biotic out cold. He dragged her into his ship, and put her in the stasis chamber.

* * *

Donovan Hock's home: Bekenstein.

Jessica walked out of the car, and held out her arm for Miranda. They walked up to the steps, where a guard stopped them saying, "There's something wrong with the statue."

Hock said, "I'm sure that it's just a glitch in the system." He then turned to Jessica and said, "Ms. Allison Gunn, I presume."

"That would be correct."

"And who would your lovely companion be?"

"This is my girlfriend Jane Traynor." Jessica said.

Hock looked surprised, and said, "I see, well, please enjoy yourself." When he left, Kasumi said, "Well, he shouldn't know I'm here, so things should be fine."

"Good, now Jane, let's go." Jessica said.

Miranda whispered into her ear, "Really? You chose to call me Jane Traynor. That's the best thing you could come up with?"

"It was on the spot." she replied, and gave Miranda a quick kiss. Inside they went inot the entrance area to Hock's vault and Kasum gave them a rundown of what they needed to do to get in. Jessica headed to security to find the password for the voice lock while Miranda and Kasumi worked on getting a voice sample from Hock. When she entered the room, the guards attacked her, and she used a multifrag to kill three guards. One was out of the blast radius, and she shot him in the head with her phalanx pistol. After scanning through the room for a while she discovered that the password was Perrugia. She walked back into the main room, and placed a hand on Miranda's shoulder, saying, "Jane, you have to see the view from the balcony. It's amazing." On the balcony, they jumped to the lower area, and killed the guards. Inside Hock's room they searched it for anything useful, and after a while had acquired enough DNA for the voice scanner. They then returned to the vault entrance, and found the cable leading to the source of the shield. In the library, Jessica found a statue that moved the screen of a fire, revealing the power source. Kasumi destroyed it, and Jessica and Miranda set about gathering their equipment while Kasumi broke through the other defenses. In the vault, they found Keiji's greybox sitting beside a pair of Kasa Locusts, and before the head of the original statue of liberty.

* * *

Leng's ship.

Leng was sitting in his seat, when Jack punched him in the back of the head, and began pummeling him. When the biotic stopped to catch her breath, he kicked her away from him, and fired a single round into her leg. The shot was ineffective, and she resumed her attack, using her biotics to create a blade of dark energy. Leng tried desperately to defend himself, but Jack had the upper hand. When she had him pinned against the wall, she stabbed him in both of his shoulders and knees, effectively crippling him. Then, the ship shook as it was hit by several Alliance fighters. When the ship had been boarded, they stunned Jack with overloads,and put Leng in cuffs.

* * *

Hock's vault.

Jessica, Miranda, and Kasumi were pinned behind cover by the guards, and she asked, "Kasumi, is this how most of your heists end?"

"No, usually there are more guards!" the thief replied. Jessica laughed, and finished off the guard captain. The three moved through the building quickly, and soon were on the roof. There, Hock said, "Gunn, Traynor, you don't have to die helping this two-bit thief. Hand her over now, and I'll let you leave with your lives."

Jessica replied, "Do you actually think my name's Allison Gunn, Hock?" When he didn't reply, she said, "I'm Commander Jessica Shepard of the Normandy SR2, and Kasumi's a member of my crew."

"Very funny, Ms. Gunn, but Shepard died two years ago." he replied.

"What makes you think that it wasn't faked? Spectres often have to disappear to guarantee their safety. The Normandy was destroyed, to cover the fact that I was still alive. The council made everyone think I'd been separated from the Normandy and burned up in re-entry, but I wasn't even on the Normandy when it was destroyed."

"Quit screwing with me, Gunn. Hand over Goto, or you'll die."

"I can have my ship here within twenty minutes." Jessica replied.

"This is your final warning, hand over Goto, or you all die." Hock growled.

* * *

Normandy SR2: Bridge.

Miranda's voice came in through the com system, she said, "Joker, Jessica needs the Normandy at our location asap."

"Got it, but this'll strain the drive core." Joker replied.

"That's unimportant, Moreau. Get it here, now."

"On my way now. ETA three minutes."

* * *

Bekenstein: Donovan Hock's roof.

Jessica quietly stood on the roof, appearing to consider Hock's offer. When the Normandy arrived, Hock was shocked, but turned it to fire on the frigate. She said, "Don't be an idiot. That's the best ship in the galaxy. You don't stand a chance against it with just a crappy gunship." Hock didn't respond, because the Normandy had shot his ship down. Miranda stated, "That went well."

"Yeah, a bit overkill to use the Thanix cannons on him, though." Jessica said.

"True, I thought he'd have stuck with the missiles."

"True, but the Thanix did need a test." Jessica said as she got on the shuttle the Normandy had sent out to pick them up while the Normandy flew away, Joker having said, "I don't like putting this much stress on the drive core." Kasumi began fiddling with Keiji's greybox and a few minutes later, she started crying, and was about to destroy the greybox, when Miranda asked, "What are you doing? We were almost killed for that thing, don't destroy it."

"The data on this is big, it could implicate the Alliance. It has to go to protect humanity." the thief replied.

"Don't destroy it, Kasumi. I didn't help you break into Hock's vault so the greybox could be destroyed. But, if you do keep it, you'll have to disappear."

"I know, but it would be best for humanity if this information was gone for good."

"If you start thinking just about what's best for humanity, you'll end up like Cerberus." Jessica said, before sitting down, and messing with her omnitool.

* * *

Normandy SR2: cargo bay.

Jessica walked into the cargo bay holding the baby krogan flanked by Miranda and Garrus. When she was about to open it, EDI said, "Shepard, this is inadvisable."

"Just let me open it, EDI." she replied.

"Understood, the switch and consequences are yours." After the fluids spilled out, the krogan slammed Jessica into a wall. When Miranda and Garrus moved to attack, she shook her head. It said, "Human. Female. Before you die, I need a name."

"Jessica Shepard, Normandy SR2."

"Not yours, mine." It replied.

"Didn't Okeer imprint that into you?"

"His words are hollow. Revenge, glory, legacy, grunt. Grunt, that one's good."

"Wouldn't you prefer Okeer or Legacy?" Jessica inquired.

"His words have no meaning to me, grunt is simple, effective."

"Right, why don't you let me down now?"

"You haven't given me a reason to spare your life."

"Let me down, or I'll turn you into a stain on the wall." she growled, flaring her biotics. The krogan looked surprised, and said, "Do you have strong enemies?"

"Yes, they've been abducting entire colonies with no casualties." She replied.

"Then I will fight for you, but if your enemies are weak, then I'll kill you." Grunt said. Jessica nodded, and said, "You'll find that if my enemies aren't good enough for you, that I am." before walking out with Miranda and Garrus. Garrus said, "Shepard, you're insane. Why did you tell us not to interrupt?"

"Grunt would have seen relying on you two as a sign of weakness. I had to take the risk." she said, before going to talk to Gabby and Ken. Ken said, "Thanks for getting those upgrades for us. Now we only need to calibrate once every week instead of every day."

"We'll need the Normandy in top shape. So, you get all the upgrades you need to maintain her." Jessica said.

Ken nodded and said, "We were considering celebrating our new found free time with some Skyllian five poker, care to join us?"

"Ken, you're talking to our CO, she doesn't want to play poker with grease monkeys like us." Gabby replied.

"I'm in, but my Skyllian five's a bit rusty. You'll go easy on the rookie, right?"

"Of course ma'am, it's all friendly." Ken said.

* * *

Three hours later.

After Jessica had taken all of their gambling money, Ken said, "Go easy on the rookie, can't believe we fell for that."

"It is so worth losing to see you taken down a notch." Gabby said.

"Beat me at my own game, you're all right Shepard."

"Jessica." she corrected.

"What?" the engineers asked.

"Call me Jessica. I like to keep things informal on my ship." she said, and left to the crew deck. There, she was greeted by Miranda who said, "Subject Zero was removed from Purgatory by Kai Leng, but before he could reach his destination, the Alliance captured both of them. They've been taken to the Citadel."

"Wait, they were captured? How?"

"Leng had just exited FTL, and an Alliance vessel nearby noticed that it was a Cerberus vessel. They knocked out its engines, and captured them both."

"Right, I should contact the Council and make sure that we get Zero. What name do they have her under?"

"They don't have a name, but they knew who Leng was."

"Right, thanks Miri. I've got to handle this now, though." Jessica said before heading to the com center.

* * *

Miranda's office.

Miranda sighed, and sat down at her desk. When she checked her messages, she saw that there was one from Niket. She opened it, and it said.

Miranda, your father's found Oriana. We need to move her. Niket. She swore under her breath and contacted Oriana. She said, "Ori, there's been a change of plans. Once we pick someone up on the Citadel we'll be heading to your place. And be careful, I've heard some... unsettling rumors."

"Randa, what's going on?" Oriana asked.

"Nothing serious, but the Illusive Man told father where you are."

"Who's the Illusive Man?"

"It's better that you know as little as possible." Miranda said.

* * *

The Citadel: Thirty minutes later.

Shepard walked up to Jack's cell flanked by Miranda, Garrus, Zaeed, and Kasumi. Inside, the convict sat completely still, merely glaring at everything. Shepard sighed, and opened the cell door. The small biotic looked at Shepard with confusion, and then resumed glaring at everything.

"Subject Zero?" Shepard asked. Jack flared her biotics, and tried to charge into Shepard, but was held at arms length by the Commander's biotics. She said, "That isn't necessary, Zero. I just don't have a name for you."

"Right, just like those bastards at Cerberus!"

"Listen, I don't have time for this, so tell me your name or you'll be getting the death penalty from the Council. The only reason you're still alive is that I need your help." Shepard growled.

"Right, and who the hell are you?"

"I'm a Spectre who saved the Citadel and all organic life from certain death." This made Jack's eyes open wide with shock, and she said, "I thought that the _great_ Commander Shepard died."

"I did."

"So, you're just a hallucination." Jack replied and sat back down.

"No, I'm more of a zombie." she replied.

"What the fuck is a zombie?"

Shepard said, "The walking dead who feast on the brains of the living. Now are you coming with me or not."

"I'll go with you, but you better fucking promise that you'll help me get back at Cerberus."

"Sure, I need to kill them all anyways." Shepard said before walking out followed now by Jack too. "When are we going to be hunting down Cerberus?"

"After we go through the Omega 4 relay to the Collectors homeworld."

"Damn, Shepard, you're fucking insane." Jack said, and Zaeed replied, "You think she's crazy when she's calm? Unless you've seen her when she's pissed, you haven't seen crazy. On Korlus she was tearing krogan limb from limb with her goddamn bare hands."

* * *

**A\N: Sorry about the longer wait on this chapter, I started playing a lot of KOTOR, and didn't write at all for the last few days. Next chapter may come sooner.**


	32. Chapter 31: Miranda Loyalty Mission

Normandy SR2.

Jessica sat down in the bridge, and asked, "How are things up here?"

Joker replied, "Pretty good, but this thing is really starting to get on my nerves."

"What did EDI do?"

"It keeps saying that we should head to Klendagon to investigate a derelict reaper that Cerberus managed to build a research station on." Joker said.

"We'll look into it later. How long until we reach Illium?"

"Around three hours."

"Good, let me know when we've arrived." Jessica said.

* * *

Jack's room.

Shepard walked in and said, "Jack."

"Shepard." the convict replied.

"Earlier you mentioned that you and Cerberus have a history. Care to tell me the details?"

"Figured you'd ask about that shit. It doesn't matter."

"I need to know about my crew's past, Jack. Until I know at least a little about you, I can't take you on missions."

"What Cerberus did to me in the past isn't your fucking business, Shepard."

"If it will affect your mission performance, it is my business."

"Why the fuck do you want to know so much about me? You trying to diagnose me? Or trying to get in my pants?"

"No, I'm trying to make sure that I can trust you."

"And what the fuck does my past have to do with that?"

Shepard sighed, and said, "Listen, I only know what information TIM gave me before I quit. I only know what you can do on the battlefield, I don't know enough about you to be able to tell if you're someone I want to keep on my ship, so I need to learn about you. That way I can make an informed decision of whether or not I should let you stay on the Normandy. If you aren't willing to talk now, then you're suspended to these quarters until you are willing to talk." Shepard said, before walking away. Jack flared her biotics and said, "You think you can take me out of that cell, just to put me into another one, Shepard?"

"Yes." The commander said, when Jack flung a shockwave at Shepard, she was hit with an overload that made her biotics vanish. Shepard said, "I've been restraining biotics since I was a teenager, so don't expect to be able to use that shit on me."

Jack said, "Fine, Shepard. You want to know what Cerberus did to me? They kidnapped me when I was a kid, and started fucking torturing me to find a way to increase my biotic abilities. There were a bunch of other kids too, but they all ended up dead. All because those Cerberus bastards wanted to find out how far they could advance human biotics. When they made me fight the other kids, they hit me with drugs every time I attacked. There's your answer, that's what Cerberus did to me."

Shepard nodded, and said, "You can stay on the Normandy, but don't attack anyone. They aren't Cerberus anymore."

"What the fuck do you mean?" Jack asked.

"Don't hurt them, they left Cerberus."

"You actually think they left? Damn you're gullible Shepard." Shepard didn't reply, but instead left the room.

* * *

Main Cannon Room.

Jessica said, "So, Garrus, any tips on where Sidonis is?"

"Not yet, but I'm getting closer." the turian stated.

"Are you sure that you even want to find him?"

"What would you do if you met the batarian who killed your family on Mindoir? Your four year old sister, and your five year old brother, not to mention your father."

"That's a stupid question, they're already dead."

"Yeah, and it helped, didn't it."

"No, they're still gone. All it does is put unnecessary kills on your record. It's better to just let it go."

"How can you say that?" Garrus asked.

"Because, I regretted killing them. They weren't responsible for the attack, they were just following Balak's orders. And he died a few weeks before Eden Prime when my team and I stopped him from flinging an asteroid into Terra Nova, but it cost the life of several civilians. But because of my pending Spectre nomination, the Alliance made that information disappear. All my quest for vengeance did was kill some innocent civilians. Sidonis may have killed your team, but you could end up becoming the same as him." Jessica said.

"Jessica, I can't just let him get away with what he did, it wouldn't be honoring my men's sacrifice."

"Would they want you to sacrifice yourself to avenge them?" Jessica asked, before walking to the door. In Kasumi's lounge, she said, "Hey, Kasumi, what you doing?"

"Nothing, Shep, just looking through some of the data in Keiji's greybox." The cheerful thief said, "It's so good to have him back, even in that form."

Jessica grinned, and said, "That's good to know, but don't spend too much time plugged into it. It isn't good to dwell in the past."

"Since when are you a psychiatrist, Shep?"

"Not a psychiatrist, Kasumi. Just doing my job. Have to make sure that the crew behaves, without too much trouble." Jessica said, while pouring her a glass of cobalt blue liquor. She asked, "You want one?"

"What is it?"

"Don't know, but it looks pretty." Jessica said.

Kasumi laughed, and said, "Sure, pour me one." A few drinks later, Miranda walked in, and saw Jessica laughing, while saying, "So, back on the SR1 there was this one ensign who kept pestering Williams to lighten up and let go of her _outdated myths_ as she called them. I swear that was the first time I saw Ash try to tear someone in half with her bare hands, but it wasn't the last."

"She tried to tear this ensign in half? Damn, Shep, you meet the craziest people." Kasumi said. Miranda sighed, and asked, "Jessica, how many shots of modified Ryncol have you had?"

"That's what this is? Why the hell was it modified?" Jessica drunkenly asked.

"Otherwise it was lethal to humans." Miranda said.

"Oh, well, Miri, care to join Kasumi and I for a drink? It's on me."

Miranda chuckled, and poured herself a glass of Chardonnay. She then sat down on by Jessica and asked, "So, when did Williams try to tear this ensign in half? I don't remember that happening."

Jessica said, "It was just before we went to investigate Fist. We'd gotten a few items for the Normandy, and Willliams needed some rest after Eden Prime. Damn fool got caught by the beacon, and I had to pull her ass out of the fire." Jessica said, with surprising sobriety. "Damn it! That's fifteen minutes of drunkenness, after a downing a whole bottle of vodka."

"Jessica, that isn't healthy." Miranda scolded. The Commander grinned, and kissed Miranda, saying, "I was just testing your handiwork, Miri."

* * *

Normandy SR2, much later. Jessica and Miranda had fallen out of their seats, laughing as Kasumi recounted the tale of how she and Keiji had stolen a piece of turian 'art' and how she swore it was the ugliest thing she'd ever stolen. "Keiji said that we should put it up in the lounge of our apartment complex. I said that I wouldn't live in a building with that... thing. I swear that was the fastest he ever changed his mind about any piece we ever stole." When the thief began to cry, Jessica said, "It's alright, Kasumi. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love."

She replied, "I miss him. He always said that we should retire, but I never took him up on his offer. And he died because of it."

Jessica nodded, and said, "Maybe you should talk to Kelly, she's pretty good at helping people with their problems."

The thief managed to smirk, and said, "Oh, you don't want to play psychiatrist?"

"I don't know how to help with this, Kasumi. And, I want to talk to Miri in private." Jessica said, guiding her XO to her office. Inside, Miranda asked, "What's this about?" And Jessica simply plopped onto the bed. From there she asked, "Do you still have any access to Cerberus files?"

"Yeah, why?" Miranda asked.

"You might want to give them to Jack, a sign of goodwill."

"Jessica, I'll consider it. There may be certain, details, that Jack shouldn't see."

"Such as?

"I don't know. There's a considerable amount of data." Miranda said, while she sat down beside Jessica. The Commander grabbed her hand, and said, "Miri, I love you."

Miranda looked confused, and said, "I know, and I love you too. What's gotten into you?"

Jessica said, "What Kasumi said, it has me thinking. What would happen to you if I died again. On the previous Normandy I hadn't thought I'd die, but I did. I've been thinking about it, and I just can't stand the idea of leaving you with nothing to remember me by. So Miri, I want you to have this." Jessica said, as she pulled out a gold necklace.

Miranda said, "That's the necklace your father gave you, shortly before leaving earth for Mindoir."

"Maybe, but, I want you to have it. A small token to remember me should I die." Jessica said.

Miranda nodded, and said, "Thank you, Jessica." The commander didn't reply, instead giving Miranda a kiss. Miranda pulled Jessica down, and sought access to Jessica's mouth with her tongue, and when Jessica granted it, Joker interrupted, saying, "We've arrived on Illium." Jessica said, "Thanks, Joker." before turning to Miranda and saying, "We didn't plan that very well." before heading to the loft. Miranda followed, and both women changed into Kestrel armor. When they exited the Normandy, an asari greeted them, saying that the fees had been waved. Jessica asked, "Why?"

"Thane Krios had the money taken from his personal account."

"Thane's here? Where?"

"He is currently visiting with Liara T'soni in her office. You may be able to catch up with him if you hurry."

Jessica grinned, and said, "It'll be good to see that guy again, don't you agree, Miri?"

"Hopefully it goes better than when we first met him." Miranda said, before they headed to Liara's office. EDI having updated their maps with the co-ordinates of it. Therein, Thane was saying, "You cannot be serious, T'soni."

"I was serious, Krios. I will not talk about this more." Liara said.

Jessica said, "Liara, I see you've mastered your mother's demeanor." But the asari merely said, "In my business, it's important to keep up appearances at all times. Let's just say it's saved me quite a few times." She then pulled something out of her desk, and handed it to Jessica. She said, "It's a formula to stimulate the Cypher in you, probably revealing a large amount of prothean information."

"Why are you doing this, Liara?" Jessica asked.

"Because, the information in the Cypher might be useful. And, it could be helpful against the reapers." Liara then turned to Miranda, and said, "I'm sorry that I set Thane on you through Feron."

Miranda nodded, and asked, "Why are you an information broker here on Illium? I thought you were working with the Alliance to find information in the mars archives."

"Going through the archives was a slow process. And I did find something, but it's too big for me to handle without help."

"What?" Jessica asked.

"The location of a working prothean cryo vault. If my theory is correct, it's working, but in an area of space that I can't safely get to."

"Where is it?" Jessica asked.

"The planet Haestrom."

Jessica said, "That can't be right."

"Why?" Liara asked.

"Tali was going there to investigate heretic activity."

"It's probable that this vault led to an increase in heretic activity." Liara said.

Jessica nodded, and asked Thane, "Care to join me on the Normandy?"

The drell replied, "I would, but there is something I must do first. Meet me in the Dantius towers tomorrow night, and you'll see." before he left. Jessica then turned to Liara and said, "We'll investigate the vault, if you give us its co-ordinates."

"I want to come too." Liara said.

"Liara, you aren't getting on the SR2. Sorry, but I don't need someone who lost my trust years ago." Jessica said.

Liara sighed, and said, "Very well." She pulled out an OSD and handed it to the commander. She and Miranda then left, and got a skycar. When they reached Oriana's place dressed in armor, she asked, "What's going on, Randa?"

Miranda said, "Are they ready to move?"

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"Henry's found you." Jessica said.

"Dammit!" Oriana said. Jessica said, "Yeah, that's why we'll be taking you to live with us on the Normandy, while they move to the other end of Illium." Oriana nodded, and grabbed her stuff. When they were over a factory district on their way back to the Normandy, their car was shot down. On the ground, an Eclipse merc said, "Ah, so you're the bitch who stole the boss's little girl. Why don't you just hand her over?"

Jessica replied, "I'm Commander Shepard. Do you really want to pick a fight with me?" When he didn't flinch, she pulled out her harrier, and shot his pistol out of his hand. She then said, "We are not handing Ori over to you bastards. If Henry wants to see her again, tell him to meet me on the Citadel in a week."

"Our boss doesn't take orders from you." the merc said.

"Maybe, but if he doesn't do that, he'll never see Ori again. I rescued her from him, and I won't let him get his filthy hands on her."

Miranda added, "And why would he just be going after Oriana? I'm his daughter too."

"Don't lie to us." The merc said, and they opened fire. Miranda created a barrier to protect Oriana, while Jessica fired her harrier into the captain of the merc. She then turned to three other mercs, and hit them with an overload. Miranda had gotten Oriana into cover, and was now covering Jessica with her biotics, and her locust. When the Commander was in the cover, she tried contacting the Normandy, but their comms were cut. Swearing under her breath, Jessica used Dark Channel on the nearest merc, while he writhed on the floor, Miranda fired a warp into him, and the explosion killed him and the guy trying to help him up.

Jessica fired her harrier into a final merc, and the three women began moving through the factory, trying to get through to the Normandy. When they reached an elevator, they learned that Niket was there. "Dammit!" Jessica said, "He doesn't get the hint does he? He won't succeed in his attempts to do what Henry's paying him to do." After more combat, they reached where Niket and Enyala were. Enyala said, "Hand over the kid, Shepard." Jessica ignored her, and said to Niket, "Well, if it isn't the traitorous bastard himself. I thought I made it clear that you were to leave Miri and any sisters she may have alone, or I'd kill you. Always telling Henry everything, like a good little spy."

Niket replied, "Like you were supposed to, Jessica."

* * *

Shepard and Miranda's past. Shepard's POV.

I walked into the infamous Henry Lawson's office with my legs shaking. He said, "Ms. Jessica Shepard, correct?" All I could do was nod. He continued, "Please take a seat, Jessica. I've decided to offer you a special job, teaching my daughter."

"Why would you be hiring me to do that? I'm her age. Not exactly teaching material." I said.

"Because, she's more likely to open up to a girl her own age. I don't just want you to teach her, I want you to keep an eye on her for me."

"Why?"

"Just to make sure that she isn't heading on a dangerous path. I want what's best for her, but she refuses to open up to me. Always shutting me out, when I just want to help her be happy and successful." Henry lied.

I closed my eyes, and said, "So, make sure she learns what she needs to know, and also keep an eye on her for you." I said, leaning towards not taking the job, but I remembered what mom said, _"Jessica, don't turn this job away without a very good reason. It would make things much easier for us."_ I said, "I'm in. I'll do what I can to help her."

"Thank you, Jessica. You'll begin first thing tomorrow morning."

"Understood sir."

"And you'll report every Friday at 6 P.M."

"I understand." I said, and he said, "Good, you are dismissed.

* * *

The next morning.

When I walked into the classroom, sitting in the only desk, was a gorgeous girl of my age. It took all of my willpower to not stare, she had curves in all the right places, and that raven hair made her face seem even prettier. I took a deep breath and said, "Hello, Ms. Lawson. I'm Jessica Shepard, and I'll be your teacher for a while." When I finished that sentence she flared her biotics and tried to hit me with a warp. I managed to dodge her, and hit her with the special overload I'd made to disable biotics. She was shocked, and I said, "There will be no use of biotics in this class. This is a tech class, not a biotics class. Professor Aethyta will be handling biotics."

The girl snorted, and said, "More likely she'll just sit around and get drunk."

I said, "Professor Aethyta may be doing a poor job, but I doubt you try to kill her on the first day."

"Right. And, Jessica, was it? I know that he only hired you because he thinks that I'll possibly open up to you."

I didn't show surprise, having done a bit of research into her the previous night. It showed that she'd seriously injured three other people of the same age as me, all of whom had been 'teachers'. I said, "He did say that, but I have no intention of giving him any reports. I don't want to end up like the last three."

* * *

Miranda's POV.

I was shocked, someone my father hired to keep an eye on me, admitting it. Maybe she wouldn't. I'd have to see. "You're the first one to admit that you were hired to spy on me."

She replied, "Really? Some people lie too much. That's no way to properly begin a relationship. Do you have any questions about me, or what your father told me to do?" I was so stunned by her openness, that I just sat there quietly for the rest of the class.

* * *

Present Day.

Jessica shot Niket, and said, "Yeah, he wanted me to do that, but I didn't because I'm not a douchebag." he tried to choke out a response, but she had grabbed him by the throat, her eyes glowing bright red. The scars that were still there were glowing equally bright, and she ran her hand through his midsection. He let out a muffled scream, while Shepard broke each one of his ribs moving towards his heart. When she reached it, she tore it out, and threw him into a wall, but he was already dead when he made contact. Jessica then turned to Enyala, and said, "If you don't want to end up like him, I suggest you leave."

Enyala replied by shooting Jessica with her shotgun, knocking the Commander out, and she started to bleed. Miranda screamed, but it was silent to Jessica as she fell to the ground almost in slow motion. Miranda flared her biotics higher than she'd ever done before, and crushed the asari with a massive fist of dark energy, and threw her into the sky. She grabbed Jessica and began moving through the building, until they got to a skycar. A stunned Oriana following. Inside, they began driving three times the speed limit. When they had reached the hospital, Miranda said, "We need help now. She was shot and needs immediate medical attention."

The nurse at the front desk asked, "Her name?"

"Jessica Shepard. First human Spectre, savior of the Citadel, hero of Elysium." The nurse was shocked, and began issuing commands, saying, "We have Commander Shepard here. Badly injured." While Jessica was taken away, Miranda just stood still, until Oriana said, "Randa, she'll be fine."

"I hope so, Ori." Miranda said, as she sat down and contacted the Normandy.

* * *

**A\N: So, another chapter done, and it included a flashback. (Those sure are fun to write.) Thanks for reading, and please review. **


	33. Chapter 32:Thane's Recruitment

A doctor walked up to Miranda and said, "Ms. Lawson, the Commander is awake."

"How is she up so soon?" Miranda asked.

"She wasn't actually injured. She'll tell you the rest." the doctor said. In Jessica's room, Miranda asked, "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Jessica replied.

"You didn't look it when we brought you here."

"Yeah, that vial T'soni gave me shattered when I was shot."

"Did it actually do anything?"

"Yeah, apparently the thorian had more info than we thought. There's stuff in there that predates the protheans by hundreds of thousands of years. "

"I thought it was just a prothean culture data dump." Miranda replied.

"So did I, but it turns out the thorian had more than just prothean information. I'll talk to you about it a bit more later, but I need to talk to Anderson." Jessica said while typing into her omni tool.

* * *

Normandy SR2 com center thirty minutes later.

Anderson said, "What's going on Jessica?"

"Did you receive the file I sent you?"

"Yes, but I have no idea what it is."

"In the mars archives, if you enter the first series of commands it will grant you full access to the data held within. If you also enter the second, it should activate a program in the computers that will 'read' your physiology, enabling instant translation to our languages." Jessica said.

"Physiology reading? What the hell are you talking about."

"The protheans had incredibly advanced technology, such that their tech could read the physiology of other species. They had discovered that experience and knowledge were genetic markers, and found a way to read these markers. It works much faster than a translation program of ours."

"We'll handle it, how are things out there?"

"Pretty well, tomorrow night we'll be picking up another specialist tomorrow night. Until then, we'll be working on making sure the ship and crew are fine. I've got to go now though." Jessica said as she walked away. Kelly said, "Jessica, Jack and Jacob would like to speak to you. And also, Bau went to have a 'chat' with Kasumi."

"Thanks for the info, Kelly." Jessica replied, before heading down to the lounge. Inside, Bau said, "Ms. Goto, do not try to escape. You are under a arrest for your crimes in Citadel space."

"Bau, let Kasumi go, she's a member of my crew." Jessica said.

"Commander, this woman has been stealing throughout Citadel space for the past fifteen years."

Jessica glared at him, and said, "Let her go, Bau. That's a direct order from your CO."

"I don't work for you, Shepard."

"You are on my ship, Bau. You'll either follow my orders, or I'll throw you out the airlock."

"I've been chasing Ms. Goto for the last three years, Shepard. This is what I've spent most of my time as a Spectre working towards."

Jessica sighed, and said, "As a Spectre I give her immunity." Bau sighed, and said, "Fine, Commander. But you may want to reconsider this." and left. Kasumi said, "Thanks, Shep. For a while there I thought I was going to end up in jail."

"You're a member of my crew Kasumi. I protect my crew." Jessica said.

Kasumi grinned, and said, "Yeah, want to have a drink?"

"Don't have the time right now. Jack and Jacob want to talk to me." she replied, heading to the elevator. In the armory, Jacob said, "Shepard, glad that you came. I got a message from a downed ship. The Hugo Gernsback."

"The Gernsback?"

"Yeah, it was looking for new worlds to colonize. Contact was lost ten years ago."

Jessica asked, "You want to investigate this ship, why?"

"My father served on it. I've thought he was dead for the last ten years. I was hoping we could look into it."

"We'll take care of it when we have the time." Jessica said.

* * *

Miranda's office.

Miranda was working on a report to Anderson for Jessica, when a yeoman walked in. The yeoman, pulled out a pistol and said, "Die, traitor." Miranda had to dive out of the way of the predator pistol's rounds. She hit the yeoman with a stasis, and took the pistol from him. When he collapsed, she tied him up, and asked, "What the hell are you doing, yeoman?"

"My job. The Illusive Man doesn't accept traitors."

Miranda sighed, and said, "EDI, have someone take this guy to the brig." before she sat down at her desk to finish the report. When the yeoman was taken to the brig, she stood up, and headed to the loft. Therein, she saw Jessica collapsed on the bed. "What's wrong, Jessica?"

"I'm exhausted." Jessica said.

"Well, you do need some rest. You've been running almost non-stop since you woke up."

"Yeah, Miri. Maybe I should take a break. Just, can't afford to." Jessica replied.

"You've been a bit off lately. Is there something wrong, besides just being tired?"

Jessica slowly said, "It's hard to accept that I died, and now I'm alive again. Sometimes when I'm asleep, it's like I'm on the Normandy again, and the Collectors have just hit it the first time. I feel the ship shake under my feet as the air begins to just fly out of the hole in the CIC. I have to frantically put on my armor, and every time, when I'm about to get to the escape pods, you tell me Joker won't abandon the ship, and I feel like I'm pushing against a brick wall, trying to get myself to say that he's lost, but I always end up going after him. Even though I know it will lead to my death, I save his life. When I'm knocked away from the ship, I feel my oxygen fleeing from the tank, and before I black out again, I feel my skin begin to burn as the armor lights up like the sun. Then, there's nothing. Just blackness. A void that seems to go on forever, and then, I wake up, burning. Having to turn the temperature down to 40 degrees just to stay cool."

"Why didn't you bring this up before?"

"Because, I didn't want to worry you. I don't want to seem weak, like you have to take care of me because I can't handle myself."

"That wouldn't happen, Jessica. It's completely reasonable for you to have at least some form of PTSD."

"Thanks, Miri, maybe I should talk to Chambers about it."

Miranda said, "If you'd rather, you can talk to me about it. I know how much you hate talking to psychiatrists."

"That would probably be better." Jessica agreed.

* * *

Dantius Towers: The next night.

Shepard hopped out of her sky car, followed by Grunt, Bau, and Jacob. Grunt charged into a group of FENRIS mechs, and sent them flying to their destruction. Shepard fired her new N7 Piranha into a YMIR mech, and was shocked when it tore through the massive mech. She said, "Grunt, you've got to try out this shotgun." The krogan came over and when Shepard handed him the shotgun, a LOKI mech opened fire, only to have its head blown off by Shepard who had whipped out her Phalanx pistol. Bau sniped a few farther back mechs, and Shepard said, "Bau, take the skycar back a ways and snipe any enemies who will try to flank us, or are out of our range. But don't harm civilians." The salarian nodded, and headed back to the car. When he had gone, they continued moving through the building, tearing through the security mechs, the only sound besides that of weapons firing was Grunt's mad laughter as he charged into whole groups of mechs with the Piranha shotgun. When they found a salarian crawling towards the exit, Shepard ran over to him and began applying medigel. When his conditions had stabilized, she asked, "What happened in here?"

The salarian replied, "Nassana, she had the mechs attack us because we didn't get out fast enough."

"And people wonder why I don't like asari." Shepard muttered, "Where is Dantius?"

"In the penthouse of tower 1."

"Ok, can you safely get out of here now that the mechs are gone?"

"I should be. Thank you." the salarian said as he ran away. Shepard walked into the next room, and was attacked by three eclipse mercs. She ducked out of the way of their attacks, and broke the neck of one of the mercs. She quickly punched another in the gut, and shot the last one with her phalanx pistol. Jacob said, "Damn, Shepard."

"You should see Thane in action. He managed to take both Miri and I out at the same time using similar tactics to those I just used." Shepard replied, while Grunt charged into a group of eclipse mercs. Jacob hit three mechs with his biotics, and Shepard shot the guards in the head with her harrier, before pulling out her locust and shooting another in the head. When the elevator opened, she fired her particle beam into it, and the guards inside died from the massive force of the attack. Shepard then walked in, and when they reached the next level, saw that all the guards had been killed by Bau. Nassana started shouting orders, and the team continued moving forward. The guards they encountered were all dead, but in one of the rooms they checked for credits, a salarian pulled a pistol on them. He shouted rambling threats before passing out. Shepard asked, "You guys alright?"

"We're a bit shaken up, he's taken it the hardest." another salarian said.

"How'd you end up locked up in here?"

"The drell locked us up in here."

"Thane's not that sloppy. Why'd he spare civilians?"

"I don't know, you're the one who knows him, not me." Jacob said. After walking past more dead guards, they finally reached the tower 1 penthouse. Inside, Nassana said, "Commander Shepard, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pay an old friend a visit. He should be here soon." Shepard said.

"So, you're working for the assassin. How much is he paying you? I'll double it."

"That doesn't beat his offer." Shepard said, with a slight grin.

"I'll quadruple it!" Nassana said with a tinge of desperation in her voice.

"Still doesn't beat his offer." Shepard said with a smirk, when Thane fell through the ceiling, and snapped the neck of a rear guard just as Shepard had, then shot the other two guards in the head. He then put his pistol to Nassana's head, and pulled the trigger. She collapsed, and he slowed her fall, before kneeling to pray. When he had finished, Shepard asked, "Thane, why'd you leave those salarians alive? You don't usually leave witnesses to your actions."

Thane replied, "I'm dying."

"What happened? Two years ago you were fine."

"We can discuss it when we get back to the Normandy." Thane said.

"Got it. Do you know what we're going to be up against?" Shepard asked.

"The Collectors have been abducting human colonies. I assume you'll be working against them."

"Yeah, that's the gist. Let's get going."

* * *

Normandy SR2.

Thane stood calmly in his arid quarters. A specific room had been added to the SR2 that was meant for drell. He said, "I'm surprised, Commander. Most human vessels don't have such rooms."

"The SR2 isn't like most human vessels. It was built by Cerberus, but we left them a while ago. And it was built for me, so the builders had it set up with rooms for quarians, turians, asari, salarians, and of course drell." Shepard said.

"Indeed, this is an impressive ship. I suppose you would like to know more about how I'm dying."

"Yes, I don't see how a healthy drell can suddenly be dying two years later."

"It is called Kepral's Syndrome. Drell evolved in an arid environment, and exposure to too much moisture in the air leads to our lungs slowly losing their ability to process oxygen. I have only a few months left to live. But, there is an old contact of mine. An asari justicar named Samara, that will be arriving on Illium in three days time."

"How does an asari justicar end up working with a drell assassin instead of killing him?"

"We were both hunting a corrupt asari official. When we both began our ways of hunting her, our paths crossed. She walked forward with the grace of a warrior goddess, confident in her skills. It became clear that we were after the same target, and that if she took my target, I wouldn't get paid for the contract. We ended up fighting, and it was a tie. We agreed that working together would ensure our target's end. After that, we went our separate ways, but helped each other on odd jobs. Though I had to make sure that mine were in line with the justicar code."

Shepard nodded, and said, "We'll recruit her when we have the time. We've got to go to Haestrom to investigate that prothean cryo vault. Also, we'll pay Tali a visit."

"Understood." Thane said, while Shepard headed up to talk to Mordin. Inside, the salarian said, "Commander, heard what you did on Illium. Surprised Krios still did assassination jobs."

"You know Thane?"

"Indeed, after he left the service of the hanar, STG hired him to help with certain missions. One of which included being extra security on genophage modification project."

"So, he helped you continue the murder of all but a thousandth of the krogan population."

"He did not know what the operation was. Only told that it was classified, and the details were only known to the actual team."

"What do you think of the genophage, Mordin?" Shepard asked.

"It was necessary to prevent the krogan from expanding. Current situations; however, may make it necessary to remove."

"What current situations?"

"Impending reaper invasion. Will need galactic unity to fight off a force such as the reapers." Mordin said.

"What caused the sudden change in opinion? Before you were defending the genophage."

"Hadn't seen capabilities of reaper forces. After observing the abilities of Collectors first hand, without direct aid from a reaper dreadnought. With aid of a fleet of reaper dreadnoughts, whole clusters could be harvested in a few short days."

"You're saying you underestimated the reapers. Thought that we wouldn't need the krogan?"

"Correct, have strong reason to believe that it is not the case. If necessary, will work on genopohage cure." Mordin said, "But, do not wish to see it done. Genophage saved galaxy once."

"So did the krogan, but once they weren't immediately useful, you used the genophage on them." Shepard said.

"If there had been no genophage, krogan would have conquered the galaxy. If there had been no genophage, we wouldn't be here to have this arguement."

Shepard sighed, and said, "You may be right, but it's gone on too long. And Wrex didn't change how I felt about it. I've seen Tuchanka with my own eyes. It's a barren wasteland, and the krogan there are barely kept from tearing each other apart in a massive clan war. The genophage is the source of the problem, no longer the solution."

"Perhaps, and Shepard, received data recently. About former student of mine who worked on genophage modification project. Has been captured on Tuchanka."

"We'll look into it when we have the time."

* * *

**A\N: Sorry about the longer wait for this chapter. It wasn't easy to write. Thanks for reading, and please review.**


	34. Chapter 33: Tali's recruitment

Normandy SR2: CIC.

Shepard walked up to her private terminal, and Kelly said, "Jessica, Grunt seems quite agitated, and Jondum Bau would like to speak to you."

"Great. What does he want." Shepard asked.

"He wasn't willing to say, but it seemed serious." Shepard nodded, and went up to chat with Joker. She said, "Hey, Joker, how're things up here in the bridge?"

"Pretty good, but EDI is still nagging me to set course for the derelict reaper." Joker replied.

"EDI, we'll investigate the Klendagon reaper after we pick up Tali and Samara and make sure that everyone's ready to go after the Collectors. I'm not going to risk my crew because we rushed into a mission."

"Understood, Commander." EDI said, "I will cease all such actions."

"Good, need anything Joker?"

"Not really, I'll let you know if I do, though." he replied, and Jessica sat down at the copilot seat.

* * *

Bau's quarters, thirty minutes later.

Shepard walked in, and asked, "What's going on Bau?"

"Ah, Commander, I have received some information that would be very harmful to STG. As you are interested in making alliances to combat the reapers, it would be advisable to handle this situation."

"What's the situation?"

"We have a security leak. It appears that there are several rogue agents in STG. We've been able to find out who they are, and that they are planning to take out several bases on Sur'Kesh. The only problem is that they are in batarian space, and we can't get anyone in there to take them out. The Normandy's stealth systems would be excellent for this purpose."

"Where are they in batarian space?"

"The batarian homeworld."

"It'll be difficult to move on the batarian homeworld without drawing attention to us. Do you have a plan for getting to them?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, but it will take a large amount of preparation. It will take at least two weeks to get the mission ready." Bau replied.

"Then get working on it. We'll move in and handle it as soon as we can." Shepard said.

* * *

Grunt's room.

Shepard asked, "What's the matter, Grunt?"

"I feel angry, Shepard. But differently from usual, like I can't help it. I just am." The krogan said, before headbutting a window. Shepard replied, "We'll go to Tuchanka and look into it when we have the time." before walking out and frustratedly pressing the buttons leading to the crew deck to get some food. There, Jack said, "Hey, Shepard, want to spar?"

Shepard replied, "Nah, I'm a bit busy right now. Going to eat some then get ready to check out the prothean vault on Haestrom after picking up Tali."

"Won't there be geth trying to stop you?"

"Yes, but I'll be taking Miri, Thane, Grunt, and Mordin with me."

"Can I come too?" Jack asked.

"We'll call you in if we need backup." Shepard said as she finished her food and went down to the shuttle bay, where EDI had told Miranda, Grunt, Thane, and Mordin to meet her. A minute later, they were all there, and Shepard had equipped her armor. When the group was fully equipped, Shepard took control of the shuttle. When they'd reached the location Tali and her team had been investigating from. The heretics appeared to have been attacking the quarians for a while, and the sun rapidly disabled the team's shields. Grunt went on point because his armor wasn't affected by the radiation. In one of the nearby structures there was a dead quarian and a terminal. Shepard activated it, and a recording on it said, "If anyone finds this, then you have to head towards the center of this city. Tali'Zorah should be there." Shepard nodded, and deleted the recording. The team continued moving through the city, until they came across a communicator. A male quarian said, "This is Kal'Reegar. Come in anyone." Shepard grabbed it and said, "This is Commander Shepard Normandy SR2. What's the situation Reegar?"

"We're pinned by a group of geth. Heretics Tali called them, but the synthetic bastards are tearing my team apart."

"Where are you?"

"We're 500 meters north of your location Commander."

"We'll get to you, Reegar. However; there are a few heretics heading our way too." Shepard said while she pulled out her Harrier. The other members of the ground team also pulled out there weapons, and opened fire on the approaching heretic drones. Bullets flew through the air, tearing through the shields of the drones, and the following rounds went into the drones tearing apart the interior mechanisms, killing the heretic runtimes.

Next, a pair of heretic primes approached, flanked by heretic pyros, hunters, rocket troopers, and troopers. Grunt grinned, while Shepard and Thane aimed their snipers at the rogue geth. They zeroed in on the heads of the primes, and fired their rifles at the same time, the contact devastating the machines' shields, opening them to the smg fire from Miranda and Mordin. The first prime was soon riddled with holes from the constant fire, while Shepard and Thane blasted a hole in the chest of the other one. Grunt had managed to eliminate the pyros, but was now pinned by the hunters. Thane used his biotics to fling a boulder into the synthetics, who flew into a nearby wall and collapsed into a non-functional mess.

The regular troopers turned out to not be much of a problem, but the rocket troopers had managed to bunker down and were holding the ground team back. Over the communicator Reegar asked, "What the hell's taking you so long, Shepard?"

"We've got quite a few heretics blocking our path." Shepard replied.

"You tried lobbing a few grenades their way?"

"We can't get out long enough to do so."

"I'll send someone to help." Reegar said.

"No, we can handle it. Our own backup's on the way." Shepard said while she hit a command into her omni tool.

* * *

Normandy SR2: Jack's room.

Jack was sitting in her quarters when her omnitool started buzzing. She looked at it, and it said, "Jack, we're pinned by heretic geth. Get Kasumi and Garrus, then head down to Haestrom at the co-ordinates specified with the second shuttle." The convict grinned, and went to the turian's room. She said, "Hey, Vakarian, Shepard needs our help." The turian came out of his room a minute later armed with his sniper and asked, "What's gone wrong this time?"

"Geth have them pinned. We're supposed to take the second shuttle around and kill the bastards in their way. It'll be fun."

"You and I have different definitions of fun, then." Garrus said, "But, I bet I can kill more of the heretics than you can."

"You're on, Vakarian." Jack said before heading to Kasumi's room. The master thief had her door lock, but Garrus picked. The master thief was lying on her couch, sleeping. She said, "What the hell, Garrus? Can't a girl get some sleep without you barging in like that?"

"Shepard needs backup." Jack said. Kasumi nodded, and was almost instantly in her suit and armed with her locust. "Wouldn't want the boss to die again." Jack gave Garrus the co-ordinates, and he took control of the shuttle. Since it was just Kasumi and Jack in the passenger bay, the thief asked, "So, what do you think are the chances that Vakarian are going to crash the shuttle?"

"Really, Jack? Don't you have something better to do with the time we spend waiting for the shuttle to get us to the planet than make stupid jokes?"

"Geez, no need to be a whiny bit..." Jack began, but stopped midsentence.

"What the hell just happened?" Garrus asked, Jack hadn't stopped like that before.

"I deactivated my decoy and cloak." Kasumi said.

"That doesn't make sense."

"It does, when she appears behind me with an smg to my back." Jack said.

* * *

Haestrom: Tali's vault. One of the marines had pushed Tali into the vault before sealing it behind her. She was confused at first, she'd fought more geth than any of them. Then, she remembered that she was the one with the data on why the sun was dying. '_Damn reapers._' the quarian machinist thought. Dark energy had been affecting the star's core, and the only group with the tech to do that was the reapers. She was surprised when Reegar sent her a quick message, it said, "Shepard's here earlier than we thought. Good thing too." Tali swore. Shepard shouldn't have come. She wasn't worth the risk. Tali quickly began prepping her combat drone, and planted several auto turrets. In case the heretics broke through before Shepard could get to her location.

* * *

Shepard's location: Haestrom.

Shepard managed to lob a grenade accurately towards the geth rocket troopers, but it only took down their shields. However, at that moment the second shuttle flew overhead and Jack jumped out of the door, using her biotics to knock two of the geth against each other. The insane biotic then began tearing the other geth apart with her abilities. Creating a biotic sword, she lopped the head off of one heretic, before ducking underneath a heretic's rocket, using her biotics to redirect it into the mech which fired it.

Shepard popped out of cover and killed two of the rocket troopers before Jack could, but the convict quickly pounced on the last mech and began tearing its circuits out with her bare hands. Shepard was surprised by this, but not as surprised as she was when Garrus and Kasumi had to literally tear the petite woman away from the mech. Shepard jogged over to them, and asked, "What the hell, Jack?" the convict didn't respond, there was only a feral grin on her face. Shepard growled, "Dammit! Garrus, take her back to the Normandy, restrained. Make sure that she's in the med-bay asap."

"Understood, Shepard." Garrus replied, giving her a quick, mock solute. She grinned, and said, "Kasumi, you're staying with us. You're cloak could come in handy." the master thief nodded, and the team moved quickly through the next building, but the path to Reegar was blocked by some rubble. Shepard said, "Reegar, our path has been blocked. There any other way to your location?"

"No, but there are some explosives in the nearby structure. They could clear a path for you, Shepard." Reegar replied.

"Got it. Miri, take Kasumi and Grunt. Mordin, Thane, you're with me. I'll take my team to the back area, you investigate the structures near the door." Shepard said.

Miranda nodded and said, "Be careful, Jessica."

"I will." retorted Shepard, "You too, Miri."

"Think of who you're talking to, Jessica." Miranda said with a grin before walking off followed by Grunt and Kasumi.

* * *

Normandy SR2: Med bay.

Chakwas said, "Well, Jack should be back to normal in a few hours, she just needs some time for her brain to slow down. The combination of adrenaline and the solar radiation wasn't good for someone as unstable as she is."

Garrus nodded, and asked, "There anything else you can tell me from your analysis?"

"Unfortunately, no, Garrus. But you may want to see Zaeed. He said something about you being a bad sniper, and that he could beat you any day of the week."

"Then I should show him how wrong he is."

* * *

Normandy SR2: Zaeed's quarters. Garrus walked in, and said, "Zaeed, I heard you said you could beat me in a sniping contest. Care to test that theory?"

"You're on, Vakarian." Zaeed gruffly replied, grabbing his rifle and heading down to the firing range deck. There, Garrus sent a target as far back as it would go, and put a single round through its skull. Zaeed laughed, and turned off the lights, before putting a round right to the side of Garrus's. The turian sighed, and turned on a wind effect at 200 kph, enough to overwhelm the auto correcting aim. He aimed, and put three rounds right in the same place as his first, only slightly widening the hole.

Zaeed stepped up to the range, turned the wind up to 600 kph, and added flickering lights to the margin. He took aim, slowly lining up the crosshairs right where he wanted them, He began to pull the trigger back ever so slightly, correcting his aim for the changes in wind, and put a round right into the target's heart area.

Garrus grinned weakly, and set the wind to its fastest possible setting, 1000 kph, and turned the lights to flicker slightly faster, and aimed right at the target, before squatting, pointing the crosshairs, and firing ten shots before reloading. He fired six more rounds, and said, "Beat that, Massani." The aged merc's mouth had dropped. Garrus had placed his shots so that the letters G and V were in the target's chest.

"I can't beat that, Vakarian." Zaeed said.

* * *

Haestrom.

Shepard walked up to the base of the rubble, where Miranda was waiting with an explosive. Shepard pulled out hers and said, "Got one, you have the other?"

"Of course." Miranda said. They placed the explosives, and Shepard set the timer for ten seconds. Everyone moved out of the way, and inside the building, there was a link to Tali's location. Shepard said, "Tali, how are things going over there?"

The quarian said, "Not very well, Reegar's the only marine still alive, and the geth are trying to blast their way through to me."

"We'll be there in just a minute. You think you can last that long?"

"I should be able to." Tali said. When Shepard turned to head to the door, Miranda said, "The door's locked and the pad's broken, Tali, can you open it?"

"Yeah, just give me a moment." The door opened and Shepard took point. Reegar was alone, and injured by the looks of it. He said, "Shepard! I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost."

"Nope, just delayed. You ok/?"

"My entire team's just been killed, and I've got a suit puncture. So, no. I'm not ok." Reegar replied.

"Got it, what's the situation out here? Tali couldn't tell us too much."

"We've got over a dozen geth units including a colossus."

"That's never good. I thought the heretics had lost most of their armature class platforms."

"Right, standard procedure with armature class units is to take down the shields and then whittle it down with fire, but the damn thing has a repair protocol. Every time we injure it, the damn thing goes down and fixes itself."

"That would take a lot of omnigel."

"Yeah, but the other geth seem to be giving it their supplies."

"Figures. We need to get past it, any strategies you could suggest?" Shepard asked.

"The way I see it there are three paths to the damn thing. You can go up top, but that leaves you out in the sun, the center gives you cover from the sun, but you're open to the geth and their colossus. The right gives you cover from the geth, but you're wide open to the colossus, and the left gives you cover from the colossus but not the geth."

"Understood. Reegar stay here. Miri, Kasumi, you two stay here." Shepard began, but Reegar said, "No way am I going to stand around and let you do all of the work."

Shepard glared at him and said, "No! We don't have enough people for you to take one for the team! Stand down, we'll handle it."

Reegar sighed, and said, "Fine, I'll give you covering fire from here."

Miranda said, "At least he isn't stubborn."

Shepard ignored her comment and said, Grunt, you'll give us covering fire from the top, go. Thane you'll take the left, Mordin the right. And I'll head down the center."

"Jessica, that's insanity!" Miranda said.

"I'll be fine, Miri." Shepard said, before heading out after Thane and Mordin. She took cover, and waited for Grunt to pick off the geth units. While the krogan and assassin killed the little units, Shepard and Mordin moved towards the colossus. Mordin had it distracted, and soon Shepard was at the border of the safe range to fire her Cain. She activated her attack drone, having it pop up in front of Mordin while she aimed at the colossus, slowly charging up the massive weapon. She had it centered on the colossus when the round fired. The explosion sent her hair floating back, while the geth colossus was torn apart by the nuclear force. The circuits crumbled into ash, while the other geth stood still, Grunt jumped down and charged past Shepard into them. Pummeling them and roaring with satisfaction as the machines died. Shepard grabbed the krogan by the back of his armor and said, "Grunt, stop!"

"Fine, Shepard." The young krogan replied, before blowing the head off of the last geth. the squad regrouped and inside the room, Tali said, "Shepard, why are you here?"

"We've got a double mission to handle. First part was picking you up, the second, well, you'll like it." Shepard said.

"What is it?"

"You'll see, Tali. You'll see." Shepard said, when Reegar walked in.

"Your old Commander is as good as you said, that colossus never stood a chance. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here."

"Thanks, Shepard. We lost too many people today." Tali said.

"Just doing what I can. In the long run, we'll need as many people as we can get when the reapers show up." After a few more sentences, the team was about to leave, when Reegar handed Shepard a gun. She asked, "What's this?"

"A Reegar Carbine shotgun. Made by my family. Consider it my way of thanking you for saving my life." Kal said.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to kill some heretics with it." Shepard said.

"That's the best use it could be put to. Make the synthetic bastards pay for the men and women they killed today." Reegar said while Shepard left, followed by a massive group of subordinates.

* * *

**A\N: So, this chapter's finished. Next will be recruiting Javik. Because I always thought it would be fun to have him in two when you're going after the Collectors. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	35. Chapter 34: The Protheans Return

**A\N: I noticed a bit of a problem with the start of the previous chapter, and I have changed it. Feel free to look at it when you have the time.**

* * *

Haestrom: Normandy shuttle.

Shepard said, "Tali, we're going to be heading to a prothean cryo vault. According to T'soni it should still have at least a few pods that are still working."

Tali was surprised, and she asked, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. That's the only reason we aren't leaving this system now."

"What do you know about the vault itself?" Tali asked.

"The data T'soni sent indicates that it was recently partially unearthed by tectonic activity, and that the station's VI has been acting up a bit. Also the geth have unearthed it further. The VI appears to be trying to activate some of the pods, but doesn't have direct access to any of them. The Cipher indicates that the VI is performing standard protocol for what's happened. It seems probable that reconnecting the VI will be the simplest method of removing the protheans from cryo stasis."

"What else would there be in a cryo vault?" Miranda asked.

"The protheans didn't keep anything besides cryo pods in a vault. It was specifically designed for this. So we don't have to worry about them having any weapons or other forms of tech that they could use against us." Shepard replied, when the shuttle landed. She took point, followed by the rest of her impractically large squad. She noticed this and said, "Tali, Thane, Grunt, Mordin, go through the left entrance. Miri, Kasumi, you're with me." Shepard said, walking through the right side entrance. Inside, the prothean VI said, "Non-prothean intruders. Krogan, quarian, drell, salarian, and human. Leave this place immediately." Miranda and Kasumi didn't understand, but Shepard translated.

* * *

Mordin said, "Interesting, it would appear that the VI doesn't appreciate our presence. What are your orders, Tali?"

"We need to keep going forward. Shepard wouldn't want us to be scared off by the VI." Tali replied.

* * *

Shepard, Miranda, and Kasumi continued moving through the base, when the VI said, "Intruders have continued attack. Activating emergency protocol 779."

"Shit! Everyone, put on breather masks. The VI's going to start removing all of the air in the system." Shepard said.

Tali said, "Understood. They're putting their masks on now. I've put my suit in vacuum mode."

"Good, don't let anyone on your team get killed, Tali." Shepard said while she made sure that Miranda and Kasumi had their breather masks on before moving further into the base. In the VI core, Shepard said, "Cover me. Don't want to risk there being a few turrets still running." Inside the VI core, she began connecting a few cables, and after a few minutes the VI said, "Full operational status restored. Deactivating cryo stasis in all pods."

Shepard said, "You'll kill whatever protheans are still living if you keep emergency protocol 779 up."

"Correct. Protocol 779 is going down now."

* * *

In one of the pods, a prothean awoke, for the first time in fifty thousand years. When the pod opened, he stumbled out and asked, "Victory, status report?"

"All functioning pods have deactivated their cryo mode and have opened. Yours was the only one that was still functional. You are the last of our people." The VI replied.

Tali, Mordin, Thane, and Grunt ran up to the prothean, and he didn't say anything. He quietly grabbed his particle rifle from the pod and aimed it at them. Tali said, "We aren't enemies." The prothean didn't respond until Shepard walked up and, in prothean, said, "Put the rifle down." It turned around and said, "Human, how do you know our language?"

"That's complicated, but we need your help."

"If it doesn't have anything to do with the reapers, then I am not interested."

"Well, then we're in luck. We need your help to take out the Collectors."

"What do these Collectors have to do with the reapers?"

"They're your people, modified by the reapers." Shepard said. The prothean then grabbed her shoulder and switched to English. He said, "I will help you battle these Collectors."

"Great, what is your name?"

"You can call me Javik."

"Got it, Normandy come in, we've recovered the prothean." Miranda said.

"Understood, how long until you get back?" Joker asked.

"Twenty minutes. Make sure that you don't get the ship damaged." Shepard said, while walking to the shuttle. Inside, she told Javik how things were in the current cycle. The prothean just nodded, and they were soon on the Normandy. Inside, she guided Javik to his new quarters. Then, she headed back to the CIC where Kelly told her that Thane wanted to speak to her. Shepard sighed, and said, "Fine. Tell Joker to set course for the Citadel. Maybe Javik will be able to get the asari and salarians to properly prepare for the reapers."

In Thane's quarters, Shepard asked, "What's the matter, Thane?"

"You remember how I mentioned that I had a wife?" the assassin asked.

"Yeah, what's this about?"

"I also have a son. I haven't seen him in years, but I've received word that he has received certain items that I had arranged for him to receive after my death. I don't know how it happened, but it appears that he is planning to become an assassin. I would like to go to the Citadel and stop him." Thane said.

"We'll do that. We're heading back to the Citadel to have Javik talk to the council anyways." Shepard said.

"Thank you, Shepard."

* * *

Engineering.

After listening to Ken talk about Tali, Shepard walked over to the quarian, and asked, "How are you getting used to the Normandy?"

"It's been fine. The entire crew's been really nice, and the new drive core is amazing. When will we be reaching the Citadel?" Tali asked.

"About an hour." Shepard replied.

"Well, could I come with you when you go there?"

"Sure. First we'll be dropping Javik off in Anderson's office. That way he can have a chat with the council. Hopefully get the asari and salarians to quit sitting on their asses and start preparing for the reapers."

"That would definitely be helpful." Tali said.

"Yup. After we help Thane with his son, I was thinking of taking Miri to the Dark Star. Care to join us?"

"I think I'd just be a third wheel, Shepard. I'm sure you and she will have a good time though."

Shepard nodded, and headed to Miranda's room, where she sat down and said, "So, Miri, what are you doing?"

"Working on a report for Anderson. I figured it would be best for him to have at least some warning about Javik before we showed up."

"True," Jessica said, "but, I thought we should get some rest before we start working through the massive back catalog of missions we've picked up. I mean, seriously. We've got to recruit that Justicar, help a bunch of the crew with their problems, and then we've got to go pick up a reaper IFF too." Shepard said.

"Well, that will take a long time." Miranda said as she closed the terminal. "Anderson's been warned about Javik, and now we can relax."

"Good. I was thinking of playing some cards in the lounge. Care to join?"

"That sounds fun, Jessica." Miranda said. Jessica smiled and grabbed Miranda's hand. They went to Kasumi's quarters, and while Jessica got them some drinks, and had EDI inform the crew that there was an open game of Skyllian Five Poker going on, Miranda noticed that Kasumi was missing.

"She's probably talking to Kelly." Jessica answered when Miranda asked, and handed the other woman her drink. Garrus, Zaeed, and Thane had already come to join in the game of cards, and soon Doctor Chakwas had too. After about thirty minutes, Javik came in and asked, "What is going in here?"

"We're playing some poker, care to join in, Javik?" Jessica inquired.

"No it would be a waste of time." the prothean said as he left.

"He's certainly not what we had expected." Chakwas said, "Do you think he'll be able to help us?"

"He should be. He's a prothean, so Tevos and Valern should believe him when he talks about the reapers." Jessica said, "But let's not worry about that. We're just relaxing now. Forget all about the reapers while at this table. That's an order."

The conversation continued, and Tali came up to play some, followed by Mordin and Jacob.

* * *

Meanwhile: Kelly's quarters.

Kelly asked, "When was the last time you saw Keiji alive?"

"It was seven months ago. He had recently stolen the data, and thought that Donovan Hock was after him. I laughed at his insecurities and said he was being paranoid." Kasumi said.

"You need to quit blaming yourself. You didn't know what the data was."

"I should have believed him, if I had, he'd still be alive."

"We don't know that. It's possible that you would have died sooner, and that we'd have one fewer member of the team now. Hock was an incredibly powerful individual who could have easily had you both killed."

"Yes, but I left him to die because I thought he was paranoid. Maybe it would be better if I had followed him into the grave."

"Kasumi, that isn't true. You're needed here. Your hacking skills will be incredibly helpful to Shepard when we hit the Collector homeworld."

* * *

Joker said, "Jessica, we've arrived on the Citadel. Anderson wants to see you and the new recruit."

"Roger. Have him meet me and the rest of the ground team in the airlock." Jessica replied.

"Got it."

Jessica turned to Miranda and said, "Miri, Tali, Garrus. Zaeed, Thane, come with me." When they reached the airlock, the prothean was already waiting for them. They quickly headed to the rapid transit station, but in the C-sec office, Captain Bailey said, "Sorry, Shepard but we're going to have to keep your four eyed friend. The scanners seem to think he's a, uh, prothean."

"He is." Shepard said, "We're going to take him to talk to the council."

"Alright. But we're going to have to escort you. The arrival of a prothean on the Citadel is a galaxy-shaking event."

Javik said, "We don't need an escort."

"Sorry, but it's standard protocol." Bailey said, "I'll take care of it myself."

Javik was about to complain, but Shepard said, "That'll be fine. Javik, don't argue. We don't want any trouble."

"You are supposed to be above this one. Why should we subject ourselves to this?"

"This is a bit different. According to Citadel laws, withholding prothean technology is a crime that not even Spectres are allowed to commit. And while you aren't tech, they might see it that way." Javik nodded, and they got into the large skycar. After reaching Anderson's office, Shepard left the prothean with Garrus and Zaeed. She asked Bailey, "My drell companion is looking for his son."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard, we don't get too many drell here. Let me just check the database back at the precinct." Bailey replied. When they did get back, he said, "Well, the only drell we have was seen talking with Mouse. Beyond that we've got nothing."

* * *

Meanwhile: Anderson's office.

Javik said, "Human, turian, asari, salarian. I am surrounded by primitives."

Tevos said, "What race are you?"

"Prothean."

The councilors were shocked, and Javik said, "Here you sit on the Citadel, denying the existence of the reapers who created it."

"Has Shepard gotten to you?" Tevos asked.

"The Reapers are real." Javik said, "They destroyed my people, and they will destroy yours if you do not prepare for their arrival. You are fortunate that they haven't taken control of the Citadel yet."

Valern and Tevos were quiet for a minute, then the salarian said, "The Salarian Union will begin preparations for the reapers' arrival."

Tevos said, "As will the asari. You can count on our assistance when the reapers arrive."

"Good." Javik said.

Before Javik could leave, Anderson said, "We've got a slight problem with our preparations for the reapers. There's a device that appears to be able to be mounted on ships, but we can't figure out what it's supposed to do." the councilor brought up a hologram, and Javik said, "It was supposed to paralyze the reapers. Our scientists couldn't find out what signal it would take to stun them." Javik said.

"Sparatus, do we still have the data from the battle with Sovereign?"

"Yes, why?"

"Remember what enabled us to take Sovereign down. The data indicated when the puppet-Saren died that it sent a signal back to Sovereign which disabled its systems. Do you think that with the signal copied, we could properly use it to beat the reapers."

"Yes, but it fired the signal in a beam of energy, so you can only hit one reaper at a time." Javik said.

* * *

Shepard entered the target of Thane's son. Inside, the young drell had the turian politician held at gunpoint. He said, "Get back or I'll shoot!"

Shepard fired a single round into the turian's head, and said, "A hostage only helps when the person who you're trying to keep away cares if they live."

Kolyat said, "Oh my gods, you're going to kill me too, aren't you?"

"No, we were just here to stop you from making a mistake. Thane, maybe you should talk to him."

Thane nodded, and said, "Kolyat."

"What do you want?"

Tali slapped Kolyat, and said, "Treat your father with some respect."

The young drell was surprised, but they had to go back to the precinct and keep Kolyat in a cell. Bailey said, "Well, the kid's angry, but he should be fine. However, he'll be in prison for a while."

"No, he won't." Shepard said, "Just give him community service."

"There's no court in Citadel space that would give community service for attempted murder."

"You'll have to keep it out of the courts. Keep it in C-sec." Shepard said.

"Alright."Bailey said, and while Thane talked to Kolyat, Shepard, Miranda, and Tali went around the area. In the lowest level, there was a quarian being accused of stealing a volus's credit chit. A bored C-sec officer was taking a statement, and Shepard asked, "What's going on over here?"

"Citizen, this is a C-sec matter. Please walk away."

Shepard grinned and asked the quarian, "What's your name."

"Lia'Vael." the quarian replied.

"Why are you here? You on Pilgrimage?" Shepard asked.

"You know of the Pilgrimage?"

"Yeah, I helped my quarian companion when she was on her's a couple of years ago."

"I've never heard of a human doing such a thing for one of us."

Shepard asked the volus, "Did you check any of the shops that you went to earlier to make sure you didn't leave it at one of them?"

"I didn't even take out my chit at the last store I visited!" The volus protested.

Tali asked, "Which store was the last one you went to?"

"Why should I talk to you clanless?"

Shepard sighed, and said, "We won't get an answer from him. We'll have to check on our own."

After checking several stores and picking up some weapon upgrades, they ended up in Saronis Applications, the store keeper said that the volus had left his chit and that he had it behind the counter. Shepard told the volus that, and when the C-sec officer threatened to run the quarian in for vagrancy, Shepard grabbed the volus and said, "You falsely accuse this girl of robbing you, and you just say she could have?" she then turned to the officer, and said, "And you. This girl is harassed by this volus, and you through in a threat to arrest her in for vagrancy?"

"How about I run you in for obstruction of justice?" he asked.

Shepard shot him in the foot and said, "I'd like to see you try and arrest a Spectre." He limped away, and Shepard asked Lia, "Are you any good with engines?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, we could use an extra engineer on the Normandy."

"You're Commander Shepard!?" Lia said, shock filling her voice.

"Yes, care to get a job working on the most advanced ship in the galaxy?" Shepard asked.

"Sure!"

"Alright, Tali, why don't you take her back to the Normandy?"

"Sure, Jessica." Tali said, and began guiding Lia to the Normandy.

* * *

Dark Star Lounge. When Shepard and Miranda arrived at the dark star, Thane was already there. He said, "Commander, Javik said that the asari and salarians are on board. He also said that it would be advisable to leave asap, because there are a large number of missions that you have placed on the public missions board."

"Well, we've still got the upgrades for the Normandy to get attached, and that'll take at least three days. The crew can have that time off." Shepard said, while she purchased a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy. She then ordered a few drinks, and took a table.

* * *

**A\N: Thanks for reading, and please review, constructive criticism is appreciated.**


	36. Chapter 35: The Justicar

Earth: Alliance HQ.

Ashley walked into the Alliance courtroom, where an Admiral said, "Williams, after having thoroughly reviewing both yours and Shepard's reports on the Horizon incident, we have come to the decision that it would be best to re-assign you to the Normandy crew. Shepard has cut all ties with the Illusive Man, and is the best humanity has to offer. We need an Alliance officer on that ship, and Shepard is a Spectre first and foremost. We doubt the Council would appreciate us trying to reinstate her to the Alliance. You are to report to the Normandy when they arrive on Illium which is their next destination."

"Sir, are you sure it is safe to trust Shepard? She worked for Cerberus, and, for all we know, still is." Ashley said.

"That is enough, Lieutenant Williams. As of now, you are to prepare to work on the Normandy as you did before Shepard's death." The Admiral said, and Ashley nodded, before walking out to gather her supplies.

In her quarters she picked up the picture of the original Normandy. In front of the ship stood, Tali, Garrus, Kaidan, and herself. She grinned thinking of how on Therum Shepard had insisted on keeping Legion, and the young quarian's response. The geth had been incredibly helpful, but now, she was the only one of that group that wasn't back on the Normandy. Except for Kaidan, who had sacrificed himself on Virmire.

She sighed, the idiot biotic had always been a bit rough around the edges, not to mention didn't think much of her beliefs. But, he had never thought less of her because of her grandfather surrendering on Shanxi. She smiled as she looked at the old ship. Remembering Pressly arguing with Shepard over letting Garrus and Wrex stay on the Normandy. The Commander had been damn near throwing the XO into the galaxy map. Ashley snapped out of her reverie, and began packing up her possessions. When she was done, she went to the ship port, and got on the first shuttle heading for Illium.

* * *

The Citadel: Zakera Ward.

Jessica walked out of the Dark Star, followed by Miranda and they quickly reached the food market, where she picked up some more premium food supplies for the Normandy. They then went back to the Normandy, where Kasumi stood waiting for them. "What's up, Kasumi?" Jessica inquired.

"Shep, I just thought you should know that the crew are pretty restless. And, since the upgrades Thane, Tali, and Javik offered would take a few days to apply that it might be smart to offer them the time off." the thief replied.

Jessica said, "That's a good idea." while they walked into the frigate, "EDI, tell the crew that while the upgrades are being applied that they have the time off. But, they're under no circumstances allowed to get drunk. We'll need them in top form when we leave for Illium."

* * *

Illium: Three days later.

Samara walked forward, and was greeted by an asari, who said, "Ma'am, this is a police investigation. We can't let you in here."

Samara said, "I am not interested in that specific crime, but I am hunting an Ardat Yaktshi."

"Oh, my apologies, Justicar." the officer said.

Samara didn't respond, but instead continued moving towards the crime scene. There were several Eclipse Sisters there. Whom she immediately engaged in combat. Flaring her biotics, the justicar quickly dispatched the first two mercs, and asked the third, "What is the name of the ship that you smuggled her off world on?"

"She would do far worse to me than you ever could, Justicar." Spat the young merc. When she crushed the young asari's neck with a silent 'crack' noise, she noticed that there were humans in the area. The leader, a woman with long, red hair, black armor, and eyes that showed more experience than such a young face should have had, asked, "Are you Samara?"

"Yes, and you are?" Samara inquired.

"Commander Shepard, Normandy SR2. We've come to get your help for a suicide mission. At least that's what most people would call it." the leader replied.

"I am afraid that I cannot assist you, there are other matters that I must attend to."

"Maybe we can help you." Shepard offered.

Samara was surprised by the human's offer, but before she could respond an officer said, "Sorry, Justicar, but I have orders to take you in to prevent an incident."

Samara replied, "Very well. But you should know that the Code dictates that I must fight way out if I am detained for more than a day."

"It is foolish to let yourself be detained for a day then fight your way out. It would be quicker to simply kill your foes immediately." a four-eyed alien said.

Shepard replied, "Javik, enough! We don't go questioning your methods, so why don't you quit questioning the ways of the asari?"

"Very well, Commander." Javik replied.

"What are you?" Samara asked.

"Prothean." Javik said.

Samara looked surprised, but followed the officer back to the precinct, where Shepard asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I am hunting an incredibly dangerous individual. She has killed hundreds of people in the last few hundred years."

"And she was smuggled off world by Eclipse, so you need to find a way out the name of the ship that this woman escaped on."

"Correct, I believe that the volus- I think his name was Pitne For- whose partner was murdered would be an excellent place to start your investigation on how to get into the Eclipse base." Samara said.

* * *

When the Justicar finished saying what she thought would be the best way to find a way into the Eclipse base, Shepard, Javik, Jack, Tali, and Zaeed exited the building. After looking around for a few minutes, they found Pitne For standing by his turian guards. When they approached him, he said, "I have nothing to say to you. Whatever it is you are investigating, I am in no way involved."

Shepard pulled out her pistol and shot one of his guards in the head. She said, "I'm a Council Spectre. I can do what I want. So, you'll either tell me what I want to know, or you'll lose that suit of yours."

"That would be equal to murder!"

"Only to you. Remember, above the law. So why don't you tell us how to get into the Eclipse base."

The volus replied, "They use key cards to get into the elevator behind the precinct. If you take it up, you'll reach the base. Now, can I please go?"

"No, stay right here. Tali, make sure he doesn't go anywhere. I doubt he'd appreciate us leaving anything other than an enviro-suit wearer with him." Before taking the others with her to the Eclipse base. After what seemed like an hour (But was really just 38 minutes) the elevator opened, and Shepard said, "Jack, Grunt, you two take point. Zaeed and I will provide you two covering fire, but I expect you to watch each other's back. Understood?"

"Yeah, I got, don't let the big lizard get hurt." Jack said, and Grunt merely nodded. They moved into the first area of the base where there were no guards, but were several vaults that Shepard insisted on opening. After she had finished hacking the systems, and had gathered all the credits inside, they found a hallway where several Eclipse sisters were. Jack and Grunt charged into the group of asari, while Shepard and Zaeed pulled out their snipers and lined up their sights with the skulls of the enemies. Shepard pulled the trigger of her Widow, and the asari's head exploded with the force of the round's impact. Jack's looked back at Shepard, before ducking a kick from one of the asari, and using her biotics to fling the asari out of a nearby window, and watched the asari fall a hundred stories to her death.

Grunt had pinned an asari who was begging for mercy, saying, "I only pretended to pull the trigger!"

Shepard said, "We'll let you live, under one circumstance. You tell us about the person that Samara is looking for. The one Eclipse smuggled off world."

"You mean the Ardat Yaktshi?"

"Shit. We never get simple jobs." the Commander growled, "Yes, the Ardat Yaktshi. What can you tell us about her?"

"Nothing more than she is one. Now can I go?"

"Yeah. Just don't try to kill anyone again." Shepard said as the young asari ran off. A while later, deeper in the base. They were suddenly attacked by a gunship. Shepard managed to dive out of the way, but Grunt was riddled with bullets. The krogan's armor managed to block most of it, but a single round slipped through, hitting one of his primary organs.

When he switched to the secondary organ, he went into a blood rage and charged the gunship. Clearly, the pilot had never seen an enraged krogan, and when Grunt charged, was so shocked that she didn't pull out of his range. So, the glass was shattered when Grunt headbutted it with all his might. The glass flew inward, flying right through the eyes of the asari pilot. As they flew through her skull, they tore her brain apart from within her skull, killing her instantly. The gunner tried to take control, but the body had landed right on top of the controls.

The ship flew into a wall, exploding, and destabilizing the structure. Grunt looked like he might charge the next thing he saw, so Shepard was the first to stand up. She said, "Grunt, you okay?"

The krogan roared, and charged at Shepard, but was stopped by her biotics. She asked, "You okay?"

The Krogan growled, and tried to attack her. But he couldn't move. A few moments later, he had come out of his bloodrage, and said, "This is fun, Shepard." but before they continued Shepard applied medigel to his wound, hoping that would keep him ok until they got back to Chakwas. After a few more rooms where Shepard went looting, they saw a volus wobbling about on his little legs. Clearly having used far too much of the chemical in the containers that were littered throughout the base. He said, "I am a biotic god! I will toss Wasea around like a ragdoll."

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Shepard asked.

"I am a biotic god! When they first began to pump so many chemicals into me, I was afraid. But then, I began to realize my own greatness. I am biotics made flesh."

Javik said, "Volus have always had limited biotic potential. We deigned them too weak to be of any use to the empire. His assumption is wrong."

"You, heathen, will be the first to die when I have drank Wasea's biotic rich blood, and completed my ascension to godhood!" The volus said, while he turned to walk into the next room.

Shepard pushed him over and said, "Maybe you could use a nap."

The volus seemed to suddenly crash, hard, and said, "Yes, I am tired. First I'll take a little nap, destroy the universe later."

Javik said, "Only a fool assumes to be a god."

Shepard nodded, and walked into the next room, where the head of Eclipse on Illium was ranting about how they shouldn't have smuggled the Ardat Yaktshi off of Illium. When she noticed Shepard, she drew her pistol and opened fire. Shepard was lucky that the asari's first shot was slightly off, so she only heard the bullet whiz past her ear, before she could pull out her Reegar carbine, and charged the asari. When she was in range, she held down the trigger, and grinned as the weapon fired lightning right into the criminal.

As the shields vaporized, and the murderer began to spaz out as the millions of volts of electricity ran through her, Shepard said, "I love this thing!" before she popped out the thermal clip and replaced it. She then grabbed the datapad the asari had been using, and quickly read through it. After gleaning the name of the ship she was looking for, she also noticed that there was a file on it that showed the asari who they'd let go confessing to murdering Pitne For's business partner.

* * *

Illium: Precinct.

Shepard walked up to Samara, and said, "We've got the ship that the Ardat Yaktshi left on, and Enyala, this datapad also contains information relating to the murder of Pitne For's partner."

The cop replied, "Thanks, Shepard."

* * *

Tali sighed, making sure this volus stayed where he was told was the most boring job Shepard had ever given her. Just standing here, making sure he didn't try to leave. She could feel her heartrate slow to a crawl while she watched. She was barely breathing, hardly moving, she was just there. Most people would guess that she was a very lifelike statue of a quarian that Pitne would try to sell. But the volus also didn't move. Then, Tali began to freak out. She barely managed to move, and realized that she'd been hit by a Collector swarm.

* * *

Shepard looked out the window, and what she saw was horrifying. The Collectors had come to Illium. And she knew it was for her. She saw that Tali was perfectly still, while a Scion walked up to her. Shepard swore, and ran out of the building, while she activated Mordin's counter-measure. She fired on the Scion with her Harrier. After firing two clips into the monstrous thing, it fell down dead and she was able to drag her back into the Precinct. Inside, she contacted the Normandy and said, "Joker, get the Normandy moving now! The Collectors have hit our current location. We need backup."

Joker's voice crackled through her radio, but even through all the interference, he sounded frantic, "They've hit the entire planet, Shepard. They've got more than just that one cruiser now. We're barely able to stay alive as is. We can't get you out of there."

"Is Miri alright?" Shepard asked.

"Don't worry about me, Jessica. I'm fine. Just find a way to get out of there." Miranda replied.

"I'll try, but it won't be easy. There are easily a hundred Collector Troopers and abominations here. Not to mention captains."

"We'll try to get to you, but there's just too many enemies in between where we are and where you are."

Shepard sighed, and said, "I know. Just stay safe. We'll find a way to get to the Normandy without getting killed. I promise that we'll make it back."

Grunt and Jack were firing on the Collectors, and Javik was using his biotics against them, but they were being overwhelmed. Shepard fired with her harrier, and Samara was using an assault rifle on the enemies. Enyala had taken cover behind her desk and was using her pistol on the Collectors, but it wasn't enough. The Collectors were surging into the building faster than the group could kill them.

* * *

**A\N: Mwahahahahahahahahahahaha! I bet none of you saw that one coming. (At least I seriously hope you didn't. If you did, please let me know.) Anyways, thanks for reading and please review.**


	37. Chapter 36:IlliumBattleJackLoyaltyStart

Normandy SR2: CIC.

Miranda said, "Fire the Thanix cannons on the Collector cruiser. That should provide a distraction for Jessica to get out of the station where she's been pinned."

Garrus said, "Understood, prepping Thanix cannons to fire."

"Good, Joker, status report?"

"We're good. Haven't been hit by those little bastards, but I can't evade them forever. EDI's attacking them to the best of her ability, but we can't hold out forever."

"Understood." Miranda said, then said to two soldiers, "Take the shuttles and work as a distraction for the Normandy. We can't afford to lose the ship." They nodded, and took control of the shuttles. Then, the galaxy map vanished, and a reaper hologram appeared in it. It turned to Miranda, and said, "Surrender your vessel immediately, and we shall not destroy this entire world."

Miranda replied, "There aren't enough of you to destroy all of Illium. You lack the vessels to manage such an assault. I'm still confused as to how you managed to trick the defense network here. You're in dark space, so I assume your signal was weakened, but that doesn't appear to be the case. I suppose that you have a direct link to the Collector vessel using some form of QEC that we haven't discovered yet. The Normandy isn't your ship. Cut power to all systems."

The engineers asked, "What? That'll kill us!"

"You received your orders, engineers. Cut power to all systems. We need to get this reaper out of our systems."

"Understood." Lia said.

When the ship cut down power, and began to fall, Joker said, "What the fuck?"

"Restore power now." Miranda said.

The systems roared back to life, and Joker had control of the ship three hundred meters above the ground. It rose into the air, and the Thanix cannons fired right into the Collector vessel. The ship turned towards the Normandy, and the shuttles exited out of the shuttle bay. They flew in opposite directions, distracting the Collector fighters.

* * *

Illium.

Shepard, Javik, and Samara, fired their biotics into the massive group of Collectors. Shepard then fired her Reegar carbine into the group, clearing a path to an elevator where the team got in, and headed up. In the upper levels, there were a horde of abominations. Shepard lobbed several grenades into the group. The explosions sent the abominations flying, the explosions of the dying husks, knocked out Tali. Shepard grabbed the quarian, and the cop said, "We're pinned, there is no way to get out of here. How the hell did they get past the orbital defenses?"

Shepard stared out at the battle going on outside, and said, "Harbinger's helping them. He must have hacked the scanners, and the ship managed to sneak in through the distraction it created. We'll have to hold this position until the Normandy can drive the Collector Cruiser off."

* * *

Normandy SR2.

Miranda slid into a wall as the Normandy evaded the Collectors attacks. From the CIC, she saw that the Illium orbital defenses had been alerted to the deception that Harbinger had performed, and were now heading in. She also saw that the Collector cruiser was pulling out. She grinned, and said, "Joker, don't let that ship get away. We're taking them out now."

"Roger that." Joker said. While they flew towards the fleeing cruiser, one of the fighters flew right into a shuttle, and it careened into one of the buildings.

Miranda watched the building begin to burn, then Jessica came in through the comms and said, "What the hell just happened? This building just started to collapse. We've lost all of our extra clips!"

Miranda said, "The shuttles were sent out to distract the fighters so we could focus on the cruiser. We'll get to you asap."

Joker had been listening in, and switched course to Shepard's location. The building had begun to collapse, tilting towards the ground. The Normandy moved towards the building, firing on the few fighters that they came in their path. The remaining shuttle fired on the fighters, until the Normandy flew right up to the collapsing building. Inside, Shepard and the rest of the team were firing on the Collectors inside.

When the Normandy was near the building, Miranda said, "Jessica, jump out of the window."

"You trying to kill me, Miri?"

"You'll be fine. Just jump out. The Normandy will be there. But we can't stay still for a long time."

"Got it." Jessica replied, turning to everyone else, and saying, "We've got to take a jump out the window. The Normandy will be there for us to land on."

Tali said, "You know it was designed to prevent such maneuvers, right."

"We'll find a way to make it work, Tali." the Commander said as she dove through the window. The rest of the squad followed her down, but the detective stayed in the building, until she saw that Shepard and the others had simply jumped into the airlock of the Normandy. She tried to follow them, but missed by a few feet, and began plummeting towards the ground. When her body collided with the ground, every bone in her body snapped, and the bones in her legs were shattered into tiny fragments. Shepard winced when she saw what had happened to the detective, but went back into the Normandy. Inside, Miranda was waiting. Jessica said, "I see that you managed to handle the situation out here fairly well. Why'd you have the Normandy shut down all systems?"

"Harbinger had managed to hack into our systems. We had to cut all power or we'd probably have lost control of all systems. I had to cut all power temporarily to get it out of the ship."

"I should have thought about that. I didn't consider the possibility of it trying to hack our systems. We'll have to find a way to prevent it in the future."

Javik said, "That should be simple enough. During our war, we had to find a way to prevent the reapers from hacking, and we found that several simple encryptions being used together would prevent the reapers from hacking the system. I can give them to your ship's computer."

"That'll be good. I'm going to get out of this armor now." Jessica said, heading for the loft.

* * *

Normandy SR2: Kasumi's quarters.

Kasumi stood up, and saw that there were three people outside of her room. She asked, "What are you doing?"

"We're just trying to get a drink, Kasumi." The first one said. She nodded, and let them in. After a few drinks, they started rambling, and Kasumi left them to their booze. In the main battery, she saw that Garrus was working on the Thanix cannons. She asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm working on some calibrations." Garrus replied.

"What's wrong with the cannons current calibration?"

"It might help us with any future use of the Thanix. Also, it's relaxing." the turian replied.

* * *

Engineering.

Tali walked up to her post, and started working on making sure that all systems were running properly. She muttered to herself about how shutting all systems down in mid-flight would damage that it could have done to the systems. Luckily, most were running green, but she noticed that several systems on Lia's board were only running at 60%. She asked Lia, "Why are these systems running so poorly?"

"They were running fine before we did the whole system shutdown, but they didn't restart properly. I've been trying to get them back up to full functionality. Nothing I've done has had any effect." Lia replied.

Tali walked over, and after a few minutes said, "Yeah, that's pretty bad. We need to get them back up to 100% before we go after the Collectors."

* * *

Illium Spaceport: the next day.

Ashley walked out of the shuttle that she had spent the last four days in. She stretched out her cramped legs, and when she was in the information area, she saw up close what the viewport had shown. The area was in ruins, and it looked like one of the skyscrapers had collapsed for some reason. One of the news reports said, "After yesterday's devastating Collector attack, the Illium Defense Board has begun working on ways to improve the cyber defense networks, as the Collectors managed to trick the systems into not showing up on the scanners."

Shepard was standing by the terminal that had the report. Beside the Commander, Miranda stood, shaking her head. Also there, was an asari, and a bald, tattooed woman. Shepard said, "Williams."

"Shepard."

"Why the hell are you here? I received word from the Alliance that you were going to be coming onto the Normandy, but that was it."

"The Alliance told me that I would be on board as their representative."

Shepard shook her head, and said, "Typical Alliance. Well, follow us, the Normandy's this way."

* * *

Normandy SR2.

Shepard guided Ashley to the crew's quarters on deck 3, and said, "You can resume your duties handling the weapons. Taylor could probably use some help handling all the guns we've gathered."

Ashley nodded, and headed back to deck two. Miranda walked up to Jessica, and said, "That went well. I'm surprised she didn't attack you."

"Ash may not trust me, but she isn't going to try to attack me. I think she realizes that she wouldn't be on her feet for a few months if she tried it."

Miranda replied, "Still, she should know better. The Illusive Man wouldn't permit an Alliance officer on a Cerberus vessel. He'd be worried about systems being hacked, or control of the ship being lost somehow."

"She's just being cautious. She'll realize that we've left Cerberus sooner or later." Jessica said as she entered the elevator. Taking it up to the loft, she said, "But, let's not worry about that. I want to just relax, and completely forget the mission for a few hours before we reach Praggia."

Miranda collapsed into the bed beside Jessica, and said, "Well, what were you thinking of?"

* * *

Quarian quarters.

Tali sat down, and said to Lia, "Well, I've tried several different protocols on the systems that are running sub-par, and I think that we'll have to do a hard reset when we next dock. Then, we'll need to go through calibrations again to restore full functionality."

"We might want to try running a cleanup first, make sure it isn't a virus that Harbinger left in our systems before it was cut out." Lia said.

"That's a good idea. But, I think a reaper would have a more effective virus to take down our systems. We'll see though." Tali said.

* * *

Kasumi's room.

Kasumi was working on putting together a model ship that Shepard had picked up on the Citadel. Kelly walked in and asked, "What are you doing, Kasumi?"

"Working on one of Shep's models." the thief replied.

"Which one? She's bought like twelve of the things."

"Sovereign at the moment. Figured that I might as well put the reaper together. I'm guessing Shep will probably just shoot it, which seems like a waste of a couple thousand credits."

"Yeah." Kelly said while she sat down beside Kasumi and started helping build the model.

After an hour, the ship was complete, and Kasumi said, "Thanks, Kelly. That really sped up how long it would take to finish it. I'm going to take it up to Shep's room."

* * *

The Loft.

Kasumi walked in, and saw that Jessica and Miranda were playing poker. She said, "Shep, I've finished Sovereign."

Jessica turned around and said, "So you're the one who kept building my models for me. Thanks Kasumi."

"No problem. I remember when I was kid working on models of older ships like the original FTL ship that humanity built, the Victory."

"That thing was a piece of crap. It barely was able to safely exit FTL."

"It looked impressive though." Miranda said.

"Yeah, still don't understand why they thought they had to make it bigger than a dreadnought. Seriously, it was almost the size of Sovereign."

"It was an experimental ship. And remember, its drive core was almost the size of a cruiser." Kasumi replied, "You couldn't expect it to be highly effective when it was the first of its kind."

"And, was barely of reducing the mass to the point that it enabled FTL. At least the ones that followed it were fairly useful." Jessica said, "You interested in some poker?"

"Nah, just came up to put Sovereign in the display case. Don't shoot it, Shep."

"I wasn't planning on it. I don't waste money on models just to shoot them." Jessica replied, while Kasumi entered the elevator.

* * *

Kelly was sitting on Kasumi's couch, and the thief asked, "Is it time for another psych session?"

"Yes. I'd like to start where we left off last time. You were talking about how you ignored Keiji's worries, and went on a job. What happened next?"

"I pulled off the job without a problem, and when I came back home, Keiji was dead, a hole in his head where his greybox had been. He had left a message, saying that Donovan Hock had killed him to get his greybox. A few months passed while I planned on how to steal it back, until Cerberus started looking for me. When I found out about Shepard, I added her to my plans. Then, I met with Shep on the Citadel. After that, you know what happened."

"Yes, but, I would like to hear what you've thought about it."

"That isn't necessary." Kasumi said.

"If I'm going to help you, I need to know what you think."

Kasumi shook her head, and said, "That isn't important, Chambers."

* * *

Normandy SR2: Bridge.

The Normandy exited FTL over a jungle planet, and was immediately fired on by a Cerberus frigate. They had to dodge the missiles, and Joker said, "We've arrived at Praggia, but we're under fire from Cerberus. You should be able to take the shuttle down to the surface."

Jessica said, "Got it. EDI, tell Jack and Williams that Miri and I will meet them in the shuttle bay."

"Yes, Commander." EDI said.


	38. Chapter 37: Jack's Loyalty Mission

Pragia.

Shepard, Miranda, Ashley, and Jack were in the passenger bay of the shuttle, while the pilot was hard pressed to evade fire from Cerberus fighters. The flight was rocky, but soon they had arrived at the old Cerberus facility. There, they were almost instantly attacked by a group of Cerberus troops.

Jack hit them with a shockwave, and Ashley fired on them with her assault rifle, while Shepard took cover, and fired on the nearest assault trooper. The round from her phalanx knocked the Cerberus trooper to the ground, and while she moved to check him for any information on the Illusive Man's intentions the rest of the team took out the rest of the Cerberus troops.

Shepard was searching the body, when the helmet popped open, and the man was covered in blue glowing reaper tech. The controlled man said, "You cannot hope to win."

Shepard didn't reply, instead, she just put a round through his head, killing him.

In the next room, there were a series of crates along the wall, Jack said, "They brought new kids here in those crates. No one ever knew what was really going on here."

"That's disgusting, how could they do that to kids?" Ashley asked, looking somewhat sick.

"I don't know, but it looks Cerberus is trying to reactivate the project." Shepard replied, pulling out her Harrier.

In the hallway through the door, a Varren pounced on Shepard and began trying to tear out her throat. She grabbed its neck, and snapped it. Miranda helped her up, and while the Commander regained her footing, Ashley pulled out a shotgun and killed the other varren that was attacking them.

Jack stood there quietly, fear clear in her eyes, yet also grief. She was staring at a bloodstain on the wall, Shepard asked, "What's wrong?"

Jack shuddered, and said, "That blood stain on the wall is the first thing I saw when I was brought here. I was confused and didn't know what was going on, and believed the bastard who was taking me to my cell that it was just some paint that a student had spilled on the wall."

Ashley placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, and said, "Clearly God wanted you to see it, He works in mysterious ways."

"What kind of bullshit is that?"

"Sorry, Jack." Ashley said.

A few more Varren attacked them, but proved to not be a threat, as the group was prepared for the group of enemies. After going down the stairs at the end of the hallway, they saw a terminal and activated it, revealing a hologram of a scientist. Shepard said, "That can't be right."

"What do you mean, Jessica?" Miranda asked.

"That guy, he works with the Ascension Project at Grissom Academy."

"That can't be right. The Alliance wouldn't hire someone who worked on this," Ashley paused for a moment, looking at the bloodstained walls, and finally said, "this monstrosity."

Shepard said, "The Alliance isn't omniscient, they don't know everything that the people they hire have done in their past."

"You're defending them hiring this guy?"

"No, but I'm just saying that they might not have known about him working here, or even the existence of this place. Cerberus has had a lot of ops so black that not even Alliance High Command knew about it."

* * *

Garrus was working on focusing the Thanix Cannon when an order from the CIC came in to fire it up. The turian grinned, or as close as a turian can come to a grin, and loaded the weapon up.

From outside, you could see the Normandy fly out of the way of several Cerberus fighters, before firing the Thanix cannons right into the

The blue beam of molten metal tore through the shields of the Cerberus vessel almost instantly, and left a gaping wound in the vessel's hull. The Cerberus vessel was then hit by a volley of missiles, completely destroying it.

* * *

The Normandy ground team stood outside the door to Jack's old room, the convict staring at it. Finally, she opened the door and a thin man who kept frantically looking around the room. His eyes twitched, and he never quit rubbing his hands together, as if the fingers were cold and he was trying to warm them.

"Are you Aresh?" Shepard inquired.

"You, you killed my guards. We were going to rebuild, to find the secrets that they were so close to! And now it's lost!" he replied.

"That wasn't what I asked."

"I don't care about what you asked!"

Jack said, "Answer the damn question, punk! Are. You. Aresh?"

"Yes, why do you care, Zero?"

Jack ignored him but it was clear that his words hurt her, then Ashley asked, "What is wrong with you? Are you trying to push her so that she'll attack you?"

Aresh grinned, the madness clear in his eyes, and said, "You don't understand. I was to turn this place into where humanity achieved godhood. Where we learned the true secrets of how biotics work. We were to learn how to control time itself, to turn our people into gods! In the words of the Illusive Man, and the motto of Cerberus, Saeculi mei, ut homines deorum!"

"What?" Shepard asked.

"In my world men will be as gods." Miranda translated.

"Men cannot become gods, because that isn't what God intended for us." Ashley piously replied.

Jack had sat down on the bed, and asked, "Why, Aresh? You were the only one of the kids who didn't try to kill me when I escaped. The only person who was a friend. You sneaked in here when we were both prisoners. Why the hell are you trying to do to other kids what they did to us!"

"We just didn't know enough to see past the pain! They were doing the right thing, the only option that they had to maximize humanity's potential!"

Shepard pinned Aresh to the ground, and said, "Miranda, you've had quite a bit of medical training, can you tell what's been done to him?"

"I'll try, but it's been a long time since I did anything like this." She replied, while quickly examining him. After a few minutes, she said with confusion, "They used old fashioned water torture on him."

"How can you tell?" Ashley asked.

"Normally it wouldn't have a visible effect after the fact, but they clearly left him like this for months. There are slight signs of the skin having been eroded." Miranda turned to Aresh and asked, "Why did they torture you?"

He shivered and said, "No, won't talk about it. Too painful!"

Shepard said, "Aresh, please, we need to know why, that way we'll be able to help you better."

"You can't help. No one can. Cerberus knows the way to perfect humans. To free us from the water that weakens us, that tears us apart from within!"

"Intense hydrophobia. The only way we'll be able to get an answer from him is with, strangely, water." Miranda said.

Jack moved over to the window, and opened it, gathering some water in a small pitcher, and bringing it to Aresh, she said, "Why did Cerberus torture you, Aresh?"

He didn't respond, so she poured a few drops onto Aresh, who instantly cracked, saying, "For trying to spread the word about this place, it made me easy to find! Please, no more."

Shepard put Aresh in cuffs, and said, "We're going to get you some help, but we'll have to keep you in cuffs to keep you safe."

Jack planted the bomb with some help from Ashley, and then, they were about to leave, when Jack stopped and went back into the room, and stared at the bed. '_This is my childhood, do I really want to destroy this? If I blow it, there will be nothing left of what made me what I am, other than the memories. This is where I learned almost everything I know. This fucking place has to go! Why the hell would I be thinking of leaving it in existence? So long as it is around there will be people who want to use it for their own good, but, this is where I grew up._' Then, a sickening revelation dawned, Aresh had been implanted with reaper tech like the troopers. She pulled out a pistol and fired a single round through Aresh's heart, and he fell down. He rolled over, and there, the life slowly faded from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jack. They were too powerful for me to resist."

"I know, Aresh. And don't worry, I'll kill every last one of those bastards for you."

"Thank you. Jack." Were his final words, as he breathed his last.

* * *

Normandy SR2.

Jack collapsed into her bed, the destruction of the Pragia facility not even clear in her mind. Aresh's eyes haunted her, and the madness filled husk of a man he had become. She was shocked when she found herself crying like a newborn child, but she didn't try to stop. Aresh had been her only friend, and he had died, because of Cerberus. Then, it turned to rage. If it hadn't been for Cerberus, and the people that worked for them, Aresh would never have died, and she'd never have become who she was. And Miranda, from the files that the former operative had given Jack, she learned she had been quite the Cerberus Cheerleader.

The woman had worked on Cerberus's most important tasks because she was completely loyal to the Illusive Man. And if it wasn't for her, Cerberus may have crumbled before it could turn Aresh into something less than human. As more time passed, Jack became more sure that it was Miranda's fault what had happened. She _would_ avenge Aresh today, on the Normandy. She got off of her bed, and flared her biotics to their max, the sheer amount of dark energy she was wielding was far beyond anything she'd ever used.

The stairs bent beneath the force of her steps, and when she hit the command to head up to Deck 3, when the doors opened, she marched right into Miranda's quarters, and lifted the woman into the air.

Miranda clutched her throat as Jack used a mass effect field to cut off airflow. She slammed the operative against a wall, earning a thud that greatly satisfied her, and created her biotic sword. The woman tried to type a few commands into her omni tool, but Jack blocked her and forced her victim to wrap her own hands around her throat. Miranda was gasping, desperately trying to breath, but Jack wouldn't let her. A moment later, the Australian was unconscious, and Jack moved in to filet her like a salmon. When she was about to place the biotic blade to the operative, a single shot pierced the utter silence in the room.


	39. Chapter 38: Jack's Loyalty Aftermath

Jack flew into the wall, clutching her side, while Shepard ran over to Miranda. She tried to wake Miranda up, but she was out cold. Shepard said, "EDI, get Chakwas in here asap."

"Understood, Commander." the AI said.

Jack tried to use her biotics again, but Shepard hit her with the biotic stunning program. The convict sighed, and Shepard cuffed her. She said, "Shit! Should have realized that you'd interfere."

"Why the hell did you attack Miranda?"

"If it weren't for her, Aresh wouldn't have been indoctrinated and implanted with reaper tech."

"What? That doesn't make sense. Miranda didn't have anything to do with the actual indoctrination operations of Cerberus."

"If she hadn't helped, Cerberus would have crumbled years ago."

"You don't know that. They probably would have just found someone else to do what she did."

Jack nodded, and when Chakwas entered, Shepard asked, "Is Miranda going to be ok?"

A few moments later, Chakwas said, "She's lucky that you got here when you did, if you'd been a few seconds later she would have suffered severe damage. I'll have her up and about in a couple of hours."

"Thanks, Karin. Jack, I want you to meet with Kelly every day. For at least an hour. You are not to leave early. And the only reason that I'm letting you off that easy is because of what you've been through lately."

"Fine, Shepard." the con replied.

* * *

Kelly sat down beside Kasumi, who said, "What you up to, Doc?"

"Please, Kasumi, don't call me that. I'm done with your evaluations."

"Sorry, Kelly. Why have you come over here?"

"I figured you might want some company. Spending all your time alone in here can't be good for you."

"Maybe, but, I like the solitude. It gives me time to think about what I'll do after the mission."

"What are you thinking of doing?"

"Go back to what I did before this. It's really all I know how to do. My mom and dad were thieves, and they passed on their skills to me. Never learned how to do something that is technically legal."

"You could probably find a legal job if you tried. Your record might be a bit of a problem, though. Shepard might help with that."

"Shep wouldn't do that, she doesn't approve of what I've done with my life."

"If it was to help you get a legal job, I think she would be willing to do it."

"Maybe, she may want to put me in prison for a while."

"From what I heard, she fought against Bau arresting you for your jobs."

"Maybe, but she looked... displeased with what I do."

"Shepard doesn't like people who break the law, but, she's willing to help people get out of something like that."

"I take it you want me to get out of the stealing business too?"

"Yeah, it isn't healthy to live a life that requires constant secrecy. The constant lying to everyone, the lack of trust you feel is partly, but not only, because of your work."

"When did this turn into a psych session?"

"Sorry, Kasumi, I'm just trying to be a friend who helps you figure out how to handle the future, in a legal way. Sometimes psychological evaluation is necessary to do that."

* * *

Tali said, "Garrus, what are you doing?"

"Calibrating this Thanix cannon, stupid thing doesn't seem to be optimizing properly."

"Has it been like that since the hard shut down?"

"Yeah, how'd you know, Tali?"

"We've been having similar troubles in engineering. Several systems didn't restart properly, so we'll have to restart it when we next land."

"Yeah, do you know where we're going next?"

"Shepard told Joker to head to where the Gernsback's signal came from."

"Wait, Jacob's still on the Normandy?"

"Yes, you didn't notice?"

"Not really, I thought he had chosen to stick with Cerberus."

"Nope, he never really was that loyal to the organisation."

* * *

Jacob sat in the armory, staring out into space. Looking at the stars, he thought '_Ten years, and now I'll finally find out what happened to dad. Too bad mom isn't around to find out._'

Ashley said, "What are you thinking about, Jacob?"

"Just thinking about my dad."

"What happened to him?"

"He was working on an exploration vessel, the Hugo Gernsback."

"That went missing ten years ago, didn't it?"

"Yeah, he was the second in command. The worst space faring incident for humanity has had since the First Contact War."

"Do you have any idea what happened?"

"Just that all contact was lost, and that a while back, a signal was received, but no one else was willing to look into it because it was probably just fake."

"So, you lost your father, and when there is finally a chance that he might be alive, no one is willing to look into it. That must be rough."

"I made my peace with what happened to my father years ago."

"He could have basically come back from the dead for you. Surely that makes you feel something."

"It makes me nervous. When he left, I didn't have a solid relationship with him. When the Gernsback was lost, it hit me hard."

"I'm sure he'd be pleased to see you again. He hasn't seen or heard from his family in ten years, so he should be overjoyed."

* * *

Jessica walked up to Miranda and asked, "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good, a bit surprised with what happened though. But at least we know that Jack's as powerful as the dossier said."

"That's not what I was thinking about when I saw what was going down. How'd Jack restrain you without a fight?"

"She just walked in and hit me with her biotics before I could react."

Jessica was quiet for a minute, then said, "EDI, let me know if Jack starts flaring her biotics. Don't want to risk her attacking anyone else with her biotics."

"I do not have the necessary sensors to tell when biotics have been flared. All of the observation cameras were remoed, and there are no dark energy detecting devices on the Normandy." EDI replied.

"Got it. Have Kelly make sure that Jack stays on schedule with the meetings."

"Understood, Shepard."

Miranda said, "How many more jobs do we have before we can hit the derelict reaper?"

"Quite a few. We've still got to help Mordin, Bau, Jacob, Zaeed, and Grunt. At least, those are the only ones who have told me about their problems that they need my help with. Knowing our luck though, Garrus and Tali will get problems that need my help, and it'll be in the middle of nowhere."

"Probably, but it could be like with Thane, and just be on the Citadel."

"Hopefully." Jessica said, moving her hair out of her eyes, before kissing Miranda and saying, "I've got to go get ready for the next mission. I'll talk to you more later."

"Be careful, Jessica, who knows what you'll fight out there." Miranda replied, getting out of the bed, and following the Commander up to the Loft.

After Jessica had put on her Kestrel Armor, she said, "Well, I guess I should head to the shuttle bay, I don't want to slow down the op by not being there when we're over the planet."

~0~O~0~

Qael'Tharn walked up to Rana, who said, "Did you hear that Shiala will be showing up here in a couple of days. Apparently the Feros colony is having some trouble."

"It'll be good to see her again, what's the colony having trouble with?"

"She didn't want to talk about it. Said that it wasn't something that the colonists wanted to keep secret."

"Is it related to the thorian?"

"She wouldn't say, but I'd guess as much."

"Typical Shiala, adamant to keep stuff secret."

"She was a commando for a long time, so she's used to having to keep things secret."

"Still, she could at least give us some information."

"There's nothing that we can do about it, Shiala is over six hundred years old, so she is stuck in her ways."

* * *

TIM stood up, and said, "Leng, I want you to assassinate Councilor Anderson. He's working against Cerberus, and we cannot let him to cripple Cerberus. You have as much time and money as you'll need."

"I'll take care of it, sir. Anderson won't survive the year."

"Good, get working on it."

"Of course, sir."

* * *

Lia said, "Tali, maybe we should tell Shepard about the problems we're having with some systems, that way we'd be more likely to go to somewhere we can actually fix them."

"Shepard's really busy. I'll mention it after the mission to find the Gernsback before we set a course for another planet that doesn't have a place where we can land the Normandy."

"Well, it should work, but I'm worried about it. There's been a decrease in the effectiveness of the systems. If we don't handle it within a week we may have to just replace these systems."

"Yeah, but there are certain jobs that we have to take care of now. If we leave it alone, the thing's we're trying to take care might no longer be able to be handled."

"I just don't like it. I feel nervous about it. We're calibrating the systems every twelve hours, yet there's been a fifteen percent drop in efficiency despite our best efforts, and the reaper virus didn't actually exist."

"Maybe if we took those systems down temporarily while in the atmosphere of this planet, that way, it may work, but it could have some trouble."

"That would probably just speed up the degradation. And they're too important to turn off while trying to move through space. We have to play it safe."

Tali was quiet for a few minutes, then said, "You're probably right. I just don't like feeling like there's nothing that I can do to fix a problem. If I had stuck to strictly safe fixes, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am. Sometimes, to succeed you have to take a risk. That helped me survive when I was helping Shepard fight Saren and the geth. I remember having to experiment with ways to repair the mako on the fly when we had been attacked by geth. I didn't tell Shepard because I was worried about upsetting her. Trust me it..." Tali began, but was interrupted by a message from Legion.

It said, "We have received information about the Old Machines. We will meet you in fifteen days time."

Tali typed in response, "Got it, where?"

"Cerberus Klendagon base. We require time to prepare for what we will encounter there."

"Got it, I'll tell Shepard about it."

"Who are you talking with?" Lia asked.

"Legion."

"Legion?"

"Yeah, it's a geth that helped us when we were hunting Saren."

"A geth?"

"They aren't all bad, Lia, our ancestors were split on the decision to execute them. There was a large number of them who opposed it, but the higher ranking officials and ordered that all of the quarians who were trying to defend the geth executed. I have a large amount of data that shows this, and I spent hours making sure that it wasn't fake data."

"You can't seriously think that the geth can be trusted."

"There isn't any reason to not trust the geth. All they wanted to do was help us, and to understand their existence. They didn't have anything against our people, and they still don't."

"How can you say that? What about the battle of the Citadel? Where the geth that attacked created by the reapers?" Lia sneered.

"No, they weren't true geth, they were heretics who believed that the reapers were gods, and that they should worship them."

"You can't be serious? You actually believe a geth?"

"Yes, Legion trusted us with its life and we came to trust it with ours."

Lia just shook her head, and was about to walk away when Shepard said, "Ms. Vael, you shouldn't be so quick to assume that the geth are your enemy, they may have been wrong to force your people into exile, but your people were wrong to try and destroy them. Neither side is innocent, and if your people would be willing to sit down and talk with the geth, you could peacefully settle your differences."

Lia sighed, and said, "Maybe I'll just need to meet this Legion."

"He can change your mind on what the geth are like." Tali said, laughing.

* * *

Anderson sat down with Sparatus, Tevos, and Valern, and said, "We may be able to optimize the Citadel's defenses, as well as use it as a way to send the reapers back a bit early if things aren't going well."

Sparatus asked, "How would we handle that? How could we trick the reapers into going back through the relay?"

"I don't know, but, we might be able to do it. Also, I think we should create special colonies that we keep no record of, but have certain groups of individuals who could be trusted by the council. They would maintain strict silence, making it appear that they're like the yahg, advanced, but not to the point where they were ready to be destroyed. Perhaps even have it be blocked off by Citadel forces, as if to say that they aren't ready to join the galactic community. To put it simply, these colonies would be a failsafe if we were to lose our war. A way to keep our races alive."

Valern said, "What of the races such as the quarians and turians who can't eat the same food as the other races? Or the volus who cannot breath our air?"

"There would be separate colonies for them, that way we don't lose anyone. It's the only way I can think of keeping every race alive. Then, if we defeat the reapers, we can have them know, and be sure that they are safe. We'd need to start working on them immediately if they are to be self-sustaining by the time the reapers show up."

Tevos said, "This is an excellent idea, Anderson, the asari will begin recruiting for the colony immediately."

"As will the turian empire."

"The salarian union will have to consider this before we can promise anything, we are not known for liking suddenly moving a large number of our people to colonies where there is no supervision."


	40. Chapter 39: Jacob's Betrayal

Shepard, Garrus, and Jacob exited the Normandy's shuttle, and Jacob said, "Whoa, didn't expect it to be like this. Thought it would be a bit more beach from what we saw from orbit."

"It looks a lot like Virmire." Garrus said, "Wonder what corrupt or dangerous to the future of the galaxy experiments are being done here."

"Me too, but at least these days the stuff at least takes place in a relaxing place. I remember that in the old days stuff like this looked like a place no one would want to live. Here, I could see myself retiring." Shepard said.

"Yeah, and there wouldn't be anyone bothering you, unless a colony popped up because you live here." Jacob said.

"Not if they didn't know. I could see farming as a nice way to settle down."

"You'd go crazy within a month of farming, Shepard. Too much waiting to actually do something." Garrus said.

"Garrus, don't tell me you were a farmer before you joined C-sec." Shepard said, with a huge grin on her face.

"No, when I was a kid my family had a garden on Palaven, and farming's just large-scale gardening. After three weeks, besides planting the stuff all we'd done was pull a few weeds. "

"Wow, that sounds incredibly dull, kind of like Jacob." Shepard teased.

"Thanks, Commander." Jacob dryly replied.

"Don't worry about it, Taylor, I'm sure that you're a nice enough person to find someone who will be able to get past the duller parts of your personality."

"Wait, Jacob has parts of him that are less dull?" Garrus asked.

Shepard whispered, "I doubt it, but better safe than sorry."

Garrus burst out laughing, and Shepard grinned, before they encountered a VI. Jacob talked to it while Shepard walked around inside the small portion of the Gernsback that she could actually get to. Inside, there wasn't much, the only information they found were several data files that said Jacob's father had taken command of the ship after the CO died in the crash.

Apparently, Acting Captain Ronald Taylor had set aside the ship's food supplies to the officers due to the fact that the planet's natural food supplies caused mental decay. She walked out, and Jacob looked upset. He said, "This beacon was fixed a few weeks after the ship crashed on this planet. Most of the officers wanted to activate it immediately, but my father and another officer killed them. They've been hiding here for _ten years_ forcing people to eat food that destroys their minds."

"So, you found out about this planet too. I'm going to gather a few samples of this stuff for Mordin to look at. That might help us find a way to make this planet habitable." Shepard said, pulling plants out of the ground, and putting them in some bags her omni tool's fabricator made. She then moved along the path.

Shortly past the VI, they saw several men chasing a single woman. The leader of the men said, "You will die for serving the liar!" and before they fired on the girl, Jacob dove forward and brought her down so that the rounds flew overhead. He tried to fire his pistol on the group, but his right arm was under the girl.

The men fired on him, and he had to use his biotics to stop the rounds from hitting the girl, but several rounds hit his barriers directly. Shepard fired a single round from her harrier right into the heart of one of the attackers, and Garrus fired on one of them, but his vindicator burst flew right over its target's shoulder.

Jacob tried to get up, but the girl on top of his arm was heavy, and as more fire was focused on him, he began to worry he wasn't going to make it out, when a saving arc grenade flew over his head. While the men twitched in place, Shepard helped Jacob back onto his feet, and the two fired on the group, both missed because their targets had collapsed from the arc grenades. One of the put a single round through Jacob's gut. He swore, and lifted the one who had shot him into the air, before flinging him into the sea. He began to flail, before he sank beneath the ocean's surface.

Shepard fired a single phalanx round into the shoulder of their last hostile and walked over to him, and put her pistol to his head, and asked, "Why were you trying to kill us?"

"You serve the traitor!"

"What do you mean?"

"The traitor who promised to save us, to call down aid from above, but never did!"

"Must be my father." Jacob said.

"Probably, and Jacob, use some medigel, we've got plenty." Shepard said, before finishing off the prisoner.

"Got it, boss." Jacob replied as he began applying the substance. Garrus shook his head when he saw that Jacob had managed to get the stuff stuck to his hands because he had been trying to apply it with his bare hands.

Jacob dipped his hands in the water, but it didn't remove the gel. Shepard said, "Remember, to get medigel off you have to use an ultrasonic signal."

"Right." Jacob said.

The girl said, "Thank you for saving me from the hunters."

"Hunters?"

"Those who disagreed with the leader. They wanted to remove him, and he responded with force."

"That makes sense. Where can we find the leader?"

"Further down the path. I will lead you as far as the encampment where the others are."

"Thanks." Shepard said, as they followed her, but were ambushed by hunters who killed the squad's guide. Shepard ducked behind cover beside Garrus, and Jacob rolled into cover, while waiting for the hunters to overheat their weapons. When that finally happened, the squad popped out of cover, and killed three of them, but the hunters then opened fire again. And, their tactics were different now, they were alternating firing, so Shepard raised up a biotic barrier, and then popped out of cover, and activated the multi-frag program, and the five explosives killed the hunters.

Jacob checked the guide's pulse to confirm that she was dead. He shook his head, and closed the poor girl's eyes. He whispered a prayer, and then said louder, "What the hell is going on here? How could my father force people to eat the food on this planet?"

"I don't know, Jacob. But, we'll find out soon enough." Shepard said, walking forward, where they entered the encampment. Inside, there wasn't a single man. All of the colonists were female.

"These are all women, where are all the men?" Garrus asked.

"Maybe the food on the planet drives the men violently insane, while it just ruins the minds of the women. Or, maybe it's just the way they react to the situation." Shepard replied, while the women shied away from them, one said, "He has a bad face, he resembles the leader."

"It looks like my father isn't popular with these people." Jacob said while walking through the village. In the center he stopped and said, "What the hell? Why is my father forcing people to build statues to him?"

Shepard stared at the statue of various bits and pieces, there wasn't much humanoid appearance to it, but there was a plaque that said, "Our leader and our god."

"I don't know." Shepard said, "But it's clear that Acting Captain Ronald Taylor needs to be removed from authority. He's been abusing it for too long."

"I have to agree." Jacob said, rage clear in his eyes.

"Don't go for revenge, Jacob, it only causes more problems."

"Don't worry, Commander, I won't kill him."

"Good."

When the team was attacked by more hunters, Shepard and Jacob caught them in a singularity, and then, Shepard hit them with a warp, that created a massive explosion that tore through the hunters. More charged, and an old BRIMIR mech walked up, and fired on the group with its machine gun.

Shepard shook her head, and aimed at the BRIMIR mech, before hitting it with an overload, followed by a grenade she threw at it. It collapsed from the attack, and Jacob said, "I always wondered why the BRIMIRs were replaced, they had a hell of a lot more firepower than the YMIRs."

Shepard said, "The BRIMIR had more weapons, but overall, they have less impact than the YMIR's equipment."

Garrus said, "Why don't you quit chatting about mechs, and actually fight these guys?"

Shepard didn't reply, instead, pulling out the Reegar Carbine, and got closer to the hunters. She then held down the trigger, and the weapon spewed lightning into the hunters. Up past the guards, they saw a single man standing on a patio. Shepard said, "It's time to end this monstrosity."

"Yeah." Jacob said, walking up to his father, who he grabbed the shoulder of turning the older man around so that he could punch him in the face.

"What the hell are you doing, boy?" Ronald asked.

"What the hell am _I_ doing? Why the hell did you have the people who's lives were placed in your hands, those who trusted you to get them home safely, and turn them into a bunch of slaves?"

"It isn't as simple as that, kid."

Shepard shook her head, and asked, "Don't you recognize him?"

"What are you talking about, girl?"

"You haven't heard of me because of how secluded you've been for the last ten years, but my name is Jessica Shepard. I was a Commander in the Alliance, and I'm a Spectre."

"Do you expect me to believe that there's a human Spectre? What other lies are you going to throw at me?"

Shepard looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Those are classified. The council wouldn't appreciate me mentioning it."

"You can't think of anything."

"No, but that isn't what matters, Ronald. Don't you recognize Mr. Taylor?"

Ronald looked surprised, and said, "Jacob?"

"So, you barely recognize your own son." He spat.

"What would you expect? It's been ten years."

Shepard punched him in the gut, and said, "You're disgusting. You forced your subordinates to eat food that turned them into animals. Then, when you see your son, you don't even recognize him."

"You don't know what it's like to be in my position. It was up to me to ensure that they were safe, but by the time we could help them it was too late!"

"You could have let them use the ship's supplies too."

"There was only enough for a few weeks of it if we were to feed the entire crew! If I had done that, we'd have all ended up like the people in the village!"

"That doesn't excuse leaving them here like this for ten years."

"If you had people who were willing to put their future in your hands, what would you do?"

"I'd do what was best for them, not what I wanted to."

"Right, why should I believe that."

"She did it with the rachni." Jacob said, "About two years ago, Binary Helix brought them back, and Shepard had to decide whether or not to let them live. She released the last queen."

Ronald looked shock, and said, "It seems that a lot has happened since we crashed here. Anyways, I suppose it's time that we leave."

"You aren't leaving with us. The Normandy is a state of the art vessel. We'll have an Alliance crew take you out of here. And get your crew some help." Shepard said.

"Fine, I suppose that I'll just wait for them to come for me."

When they were out of his range of vision, Shepard said, "Jacob, stay back, make sure he doesn't try to run."

"You got it, Shepard." Jacob said, disappearing into the foliage.

In the shuttle, Garrus asked, "Why'd you have Jacob stay back?"

"I don't trust his dad. He may fear the rotting effects of the food, but I doubt it."

"So, you don't think that he'll stay behind to be arrested."

"That's right. And, Jacob needs to settle his problems with his dad himself."

* * *

Jacob sat in the bushes, watching his father, who stood there quietly, before he said, "You can come out now, Jacob."

Jacob didn't reply, and Ronald said, "Your boss doesn't trust me, and you know me the best of the people that came here, so she left you to make sure that I don't run. You don't have to worry about me running. Maybe you don't trust me either, or are worried that I'll try to run to avoid justice, but you haven't seen how quickly the food on this planet causes the neural decay. Most of the crew were lost within a week."

Ronald continued, "You're good at your job, but you can't just sit there all day. It'll be a long time before the Alliance shows up."

Jacob closed his eyes, and said, "What do you want to talk about?"

"You're girlfriend's a good soldier, a good leader. But what are you doing? Is it really what you want?"

"Shepard isn't my girlfriend, she's my CO."

"Yet she was pissed off with how I treated you. Why is that?"

"Shepard had some bad experiences with the father of her girlfriend. He treated her like trash, like he owned her. And Shepard didn't like it."

"But you'd like to have a relationship with Shepard?"

"No, it can lead to conflicts of interest."

"You're real professional, but it isn't always that easy when you work with a lot of beautiful women."

"It may not have been for you, but I'm not like you." Jacob said as he pulled out some handcuffs, and put Ronald in them, holding him to the trees. Walking away, Jacob continued, "Now I don't have to keep an eye on you until the Alliance shows up. Just the sight of you makes me sick."

* * *

Jacob walked into the shuttle, and said, "He won't be trying to escape before the Alliance arrives."

"Good." Shepard said, "Now that this is out of the way, we'll have to head back to the Citadel to make sure that the Normandy's systems don't completely collapse from the stress they went through during the fight on Illium."

* * *

Shepard walked up to Mordin, and asked, "Can you run some tests on these plants to find out why they have adverse effects on people who eat them?"

"Not now, running tests on genophage corrupted DNA. Admiral Hackett sent me a large amount of data. Something about having a scientist work on genophage cure. Made significant progress."

"That's great, what can you tell me about it?"

"Not much that you would understand. It is fairly complex, and would appear to only have brought us a year closer to a cure. Doctor Kensen spent most time having to deal with diplomatic issues."

"Understandable all things considered. The krogan haven't had a reason to trust outsiders since the Krogan Rebellions. The genophage, there removal from any status, just remembered for the rebellions. Too many have forgotten that we owe the krogan our lives. If it wasn't for them we'd all either be dead or slaves of the rachni."

"Possibly, but more probable that another race would have found a way to overcome the rachni. Krogan a brute force strategy, not wise of salarians."

"The rachni could have taken the Citadel before you found a way to handle them."

"Possibly, you do not know for sure."

"It's more likely than just having found another way." Shepard said, "But, you could be right. It's just not right that no one cares that the krogan are the ones who were wronged with the genophage. And, they're ready for a cure, if Wrex can keep the other clans in line."

"Yes, and I agree, genophage needs to be cured, reapers too powerful for us to face without krogan forces aiding the battle on the ground. Possibly even using ships to attack reaper vessels. Either dreadnoughts or destroyers."

"True, will look at plants when have free time."

"Thanks, and if you can, find a way to reverse it too, but I doubt that it's something that would be able to be cured in your spare time while data on the genophage cure compiles or whatever."

"Will look into it, don't doubt that Shepard."

"I didn't, Mordin." Shepard said as she exited the room.

* * *

Miranda was typing into her console, when Jessica walked in and said, "I swear, I will never retire on a tropical planet. Every last one I've been to has had some kind of evil experiment or corrupt government. Not just Virmire and this other place, but there was a batarian one too, that was turning its people into mindless slaves who's only beliefs were that the hegemony was all that mattered, and that the council took second place to the batarian hegemony."

"What happened down there?"

"Well, it turns out Jacob's dad was forcing his crew to eat food that turned them into a bunch of idiots who couldn't really think for themselves. And, he tried to justify the fact that he didn't use the beacon when it was first fixed ten years ago."

"That's despicable, why did he do it?"

"He wasn't fit to lead that many people. The pressure got to him, and destroyed any morals that he may have had before the crash."

"If it had been pressure, wouldn't he have just done what he could to get them away from that mess?"

Jessica shook her head, and replied, "He wasn't that kind of person. From what I was able to gather from his file, he was fascinated by the old monarchs who had absolute power over his people. The kind of control that he had there, it was something he always wanted to experience. He sawan opportunity when the food started decaying his people's minds."

"At least that's no longer a problem."

"Yeah, how's your day been?"

"I've just been doing some paperwork, except for a bit where Ashley was trying to figure out where the firing range was. Apparently Chambers didn't know, and Mordin was busy working on something."

"Why didn't she just ask EDI?"

"She doesn't trust EDI, something about remembering a mission a friend of hers went on to take out a rogue VI. Apparently they lost almost everyone."

"I remember that op, I was part of it. It was when I was an M7, the Commander was pretty good, but he kept trying to fix the VI, had to convince him to just shut it down the hard way."

"That must have been uncomfortable."

"You have no idea, I had to talk him down, not to mention that I used the geth as an example of why it had to be destroyed. And now I defend the geth's right to exist. Hopefully he doesn't remember that argument."

"Do you know what happened to Legion?"

"He's going to meet up with us when we go to the Derelict Reaper over Klendagon."

"At least its doing alright. When do you think we'll be able to just relax, and not have to worry about the next mission?"

"I don't know, there's still the reapers, and if we lose, then we'll all be dead."

"About that, Anderson sent us a message about how he's having the races prepare for the coming of the reapers. Apparently he's having the races form colonies that maintain strict radio silence, and that there aren't any records of in Citadel space. And not telling the Terminus Systems about their existence. That way there won't be as much risk of the reapers finding out about them."

"If the reapers indoctrinate someone who knows about the colony, it won't matter. We'll have to send the people who know about the colonies to the colonies when the reapers arrive."

"Anderson says that they've been working on a failsafe. The people who know about it have devices that recognize the Indoctrination signal, and detonate if exposed to it for a certain amount of time. I sent them some information that the team that was studying the derelict reaper, they were able to figure out which signal was the Indoctrination signal, but they were rotated every week to keep them safe from being Indoctrinated."

"So, we'll have to fight Cerberus too when we get there."

"Doubtful, the team went dark about a week before the SR2 made its maiden voyage."

"How do you still have access to the Cerberus Network?"

"Back when I was working on Lazarus, I found some suspicious workings in Cerberus so I put in a back door that gave me full access. If you want I can give you access to it."

"Sure, it would be interesting to get data on Cerberus that the Illusive Man thought was safe from my eyes."

"You'll be a bit disappointed, there isn't all that much. He kept most of it hidden from anyone who wasn't working on the projects. I had access only to some bare-bones details about it."

"Still, it may be helpful."

"Yeah, you have some free time, Miri?"

"Of course."

"Great, Kasumi wanted to get the whole ground team around to play some poker."

"I'll be there in five." Miranda said, walking out to the elevator, followed by Jessica who said, "This armor's not really comfortable."

* * *

Kasumi handed Shepard and Miranda a hand each, and everyone else was already there, even Javik. The prothean was easily beating those next to him, until Shepard said, "Javik, quit reading their physiology."

"Very well, Commander." the prothean replied.

"Good, now that we've taken care of that, let's get back to the poker."

* * *

**A\N: Just a quick note, I remembered a file I had that was just some details on the weapons the team had, the Normandy Upgrades acquired and the ones that would be acquired, the squad members recruitment and loyalty mission status, (Not acquired, acquired, working on, Posted. So, if you want, I can post that separately. Please let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.**


	41. Chapter 40: The Assassins

Jessica walked out of her shower, and EDI said, "Commander, we will be arriving at the Citadel in twenty minutes. Also, both Garrus and Ashley would like to speak to you."

"Figures. Tell them I'll talk to them when I get down to their decks."

"Done."

"Good, that's all."

"Logging you out, Shepard."

Jessica opened the door to her cabin, and Miranda walked up to her, saying, "Jessica, we have a problem, it appears the Illusive Man has found out when we're arriving on the Citadel, and has arranged for several assassins to meet us when we land."

"Figures he wouldn't take being told to leave us alone well. EDI!"

"Yes?"

"Tell the crew that they are not to exit the Normandy alone. The Illusive Man has some assassins waiting, and I don't want to lose anyone."

"Of course, is that all?"

"Yes, thanks EDI. Miri, we need to gear up." Jessica said, equipping her armor, while Miranda did the same.

-=0=-

Shepard walked into the armory, followed by Miranda, and Ashley said, "Commander."

"Just a minute, Ash, need to get my guns. You should do the same."

"Yeah, heard about Cerberus sending assassins." the marine, grabbing her Collector Assualt Rifle and Viper Sniper Rifle.

Once everyone was geared up, Shepard asked, "What do you need, Ash?"

"A few hours ago I got a transmission from my mom, apparantly someone's been following her, and she's starting to get worried about it."

"You think it's Cerberus?"

"Of course, who else would be stalking my mom? The real question is why would Cerberus bother with trying to get to me?"

"You were on the SR2 when it left Cerberus, they could view that as a catalyst to the loss of the Normandy."

"That's retarded! I didn't force you to leave Cerberus."

"Yes, but TIM isn't known for being the most logical of people. We'll help you with it. Where does she live?"

"She's a colonist on Ferris Fields."

"Got it, we'll go there once we've finished our work here on the Citadel, which should only take a few hours."

"Thanks, Shepard. I don't want anything to happen to her."

-=0=-

Shepard walked up to Garrus and asked, "What do you need?"

"I've found Sidonis! He's on the Citadel, and met with Fade."

"I don't remember any Fade. He must have come around after I died."

"Sorry, Shepard, forgot about that. Fade makes people dissapear, helps them evade capture and the like by giving them new identities."

"Got it, do you know how to find Fade?"

Garrus shook his head, and said, "Maybe, I've arranged a meeting with him for three hours from now, that way we've got plenty of time to prep."

"Alright, but Garrus, don't do anything rash. At least give Sidonis a chance to talk before you put a round through him."

"I can't do that, Shepard. Ten good men died because Sidonis betrayed us."

"And if you kill him, you may have avenged their deaths, but you'll have become what they were fighting against, a murderer who kills for no good reason."

"No good reason, Shepard?" Garrus slowly asked, before shouting, "SIDONIS KILLED MY TEAM! I THINK THAT'S NOT A GOOD REASON?"

"Revenge is never a good reason to kill. And anger always makes you sloppy, with how you are currently, Garrus, you're more likely to get yourself shot because you're head's stuck so far up your ass that you can't see that you don't have a plan. If you don't think, you'll stick out and he'll get away."

Garrus sighed, closed his eyes, and said, "You're right, Shepard. But, if he gets away, I'll have failed my men again. He fought alongside us, and they died because he started working for them."

"Maybe there's another explanation." Shepard said, sitting down beside the Thanix Cannon, "Does Sidonis have any family?"

"Not that I know of, we were all just trying to take Omega back from the gangs, but it didn't work. And it's all because of Sidonis."

"Don't blame yourself for what Sidonis did, Garrus. There was no way that you could tell what he was going to do. If you keep acting like it's your fault, it will tear you apart from the inside. Even if it isn't today, you'll eventually lose it. He may have betrayed you, but is _not_ worth it. Ask yourself this, is he worth your life?"

"No, what are you getting at, Shepard?"

"If you continue doing this, hunting him over what has happened, you'll die because you can't move on. Even if you kill him, you'll go back to the time on Omega when you learned he betrayed you. Sometimes anger and pain can help, but it isn't worth it. Your anger is already consuming you, and you don't even see it because you've embraced it. The path of vengeance is the path of fools, and trust me, I know from personal experience."

"What could you know?"

"When Miri escaped from her father, he made the entire galaxy think she had died, and I tried to go after him. I'd just sent Ori to her parents, and my mom and dad had been badly injured by Miri's dad's men. I thought they were going to die and Miri was dead, so I went after the person I blamed for all my problems. It was when I was trying to do this, that I got recruited into the Tenth Street Reds. I thought they'd help me kill Henry, in exchange for access to his personal accounts. After six months, when we finally went to kill him, I had the same look in my eyes that you do now. The look of someone who is doing what they think will be the last thing they ever do. When we began trying to get into his premises, it turned out to be a lot harder than before. He'd tightened his security, so I couldn't get in. But I didn't give up, I continued my hunt. I walked up to the front gate, and killed the guards. They didn't expect me to shoot them, but I didn't care. I was determined to get to Henry. After that, I climbed the wall, ignoring the pain as the electricity ran through me. I still don't know how I survived, but I made it over the fence. Inside, several dogs tried to get me, but I killed them with cold efficiency. I thought I was in the clear, I'd gotten past the first part of the defenses, but it turns out that there were several other things I'd have to get past."

Miranda walked in and said, "We've landed on the Citadel."

"Thanks for telling me Miri. I need to finish my chat with Garrus before we leave though."

"What are you talking about?"

"One of my many exploits, but the only one that I would not do again if I had the chance to redo my entire life."

"Interesting, what is it?"

"It's about my time in the Reds. Want to hear it?"

"Sure, I'd love to hear what you did that you regret so much."

"I don't regret it, but I wouldn't do it again if I had the chance. Anyways, I'd just killed the guard dogs, when a guy walked up to me, he had a sword on him, and told me to leave. He said that he wouldn't tell anyone what I'd done if I did as he told. I ignored him, and tried to kill him. I fired three rounds at him, but he blocked it with a biotic barrier. He then charged me, and stabbed me in the gut, kicked me into a nearby wall. It hurt a lot, and I knew that my end had come. I asked him his name, and he smugly replied that it was Kai Leng. He said that I had potential, but I was wasting it going after someone like his boss. That wasn't what I had gone all that way to hear, so I hit him with an overload. He shrugged it off, and told me to go and learn how to fight properly. Then, he just walked away. Didn't see him for a long time after that, but when I got into the N7 program, he was an instructor for a while. He'd earned his N7 a while before I tried to get into the estate. Apparently he was off duty for a while, and was only working as a security guard when he was available."

"I don't remember Leng working as a security guard, especially not during your stint with the Reds."

"It was kept on the down low for obvious reasons."

Garrus was quiet, and said, "Maybe you're right, Shepard. But my path is already set. I have to go to this meeting, and even if it doesn't lead to Sidonis dying, then at least we'll bring Fist in."

"Good." Shepard said, "And remember what I said the other time Garrus, we don't choose what others do, but we do choose how we react to it."

"I remember that, Shepard. It's just not something I'm used to doing. I don't like just leaving criminals to continue in their crimes."

"You can't get all of them, but you can get the worst of them usually."

"You're right. And even if they hadn't died, I would still be on the Normandy, Shepard."

"I know you would be, Garrus. You couldn't resist the chance to calibrate a giant gun on a daily basis."  
"I'd prefer that it wasn't daily."

Miranda said, "Of course you do. I seem to remember that-on the old Normandy- you didn't like how the weapons didn't really need to be calibrated very frequently. You said, 'I would love to have a weapons system that had to be calibrated daily.' Do you remember that?"

"Not really, no."

"Miri, give Garrus a break. Unlike you, he isn't perfect."

Miranda smiled and said, "Ok, but we really need to go now."

"Yeah, Garrus meet us at C-sec when you're ready to meet with Fade. Until then, Miri, Ash, and I will be hunting Cerberus assassins."

"Alright, this should only take an hour to get fixed." Garrus said, going to start working on completely deactivating the Thanix Cannon.

-=0=-

Three small women with cloth masks around their faces were standing near the Normandy when the ground team got out of the airlock. One snuck away from the rest, while the other two followed the team in a very conspicuous manner. Shepard noticed, and shook her head. She said, "Be careful. Apparently two of them are meant to be a distraction so we don't notice the actions of the others."

Ashley just pulled out her Collector Rifle and fired on the first following assassin. The round missed barely, but the assassin was in attacking range with the sword that was revealed alongside a set of white armor. The mask flew off for a brief instant, revealing reaper implants, before a helmet covered them.

The assassin tried to stab Ashley, but Miranda lifted her into the air with her biotics, while Shepard tackled the first, and took the sword from her. Shepard quickly spun the blade around and stabbed the woman through the heart, while Miranda and Ashley filled the other's body with rounds from their firearms.

A few feet further, before the C-sec scanners, the third assassin dropped down behind them and knocked Miranda and Ashley into the walls and firing a round from each of her palm cannons into the woman, who's shields blocked the round but it still hurt. She tried to stab Shepard, but the Commander ducked, and punched the assassin in the chest. The assassin fired another palm cannon round at Shepard who took it with a slight grunt.

Then, Miranda and Ashley moved to attack as well, but Shepard shook her head and fired a single round from her harrier at the assassin, which missed, but bounced around the room, hitting Ashley's shields.

Shepard got into close range and swept the assassin's legs out from under her with a single leg. Shepard then tried to slit the throat of her enemy, but was sent into the ceiling with a blast of biotic energy. She fell to the floor and felt a blade hit her armor, but bounce off. She flipped out a knife from a slot in the right arm in her armor. She quickly deflected the sword and pinned the indoctrinated fool to the wall with her knife. Then she asked, "Why is the Illusive Man trying to kill us?"

"Why should we tell you?"

"You'll tell me because if you don't I'll throw you into deep space."

The assassin looked slightly intimidated by the threat, but didn't respond. Shepard shook her head, and grabbed the assassin's throat. She then began to slowly squeeze, the assassin didn't give in, and soon she was dead. The only injuries on her were a single hand indentation where Shepard had grabbed her neck, and where the knife held her to the wall.

A few minutes later Bailey walked in and asked, "Shepard, what the hell is going on in here?"

"The Illusive Man sent a few assassins for us. You might want to make sure that there aren't any others running about." Miranda said.

"Right, Ms. Lawson. You may want to tell the council about this, Shepard."

"I plan on doing that." she replied.

-=0=-

Leng walked through the crowds on the Citadel and purchased a set of items that he'd need to make a bomb that would take out Anderson's offie , and if that didn't kill the old bastard, then it would send him right into Leng's next trap, at the C-sec office closest to the councilor's office he had arranged for a pair of Cerberus operatives to be waiting for him. Leng had thought of everything. Even Shepard was handled, there was no way this could go wrong. And, he might also get a couple of other councilors, if he was lucky.

"That will be fifty thousand credits." The salarian store keeper said.

"Here, now, remember, keep this a secret between the two of us." Leng said.

"Of course, of course. You needn't worry about C-sec looking into this."

"Good." Leng replied, putting a small explosive under the counter, and set it to detonate after a few more customers had been there.

-=0=-

Shepard was walking through the Citadel, when there was a massive explosion from the shopping district. She pulled out her Widow, and used it to check what was going on. What she saw was horrible. Hundreds dead, and while there were hundreds of people frantically running away, one man calmly walked through the carnage. He walked through there as if he were invulnerable, and in a way he was. Shepard couldn't fire on him unless she was willing to kill several civilians in the cross-fire.

She looked at him, and was conflicted on what to do with the Cerberus assassin. She watched him, and he made no move to try to evacuate. It would be so easy for her to pull the trigger, end his life once and for all. There would be nothing he could do. The round would pierce his shields, and he would no longer be a problem. But, there would be civilian casualties. There were people fleeing for their lives, and Leng was using them as a shield to protect himself. It made Shepard furious, and she slowly began to clench the trigger, but she asked herself, _'Have I really brought myself down to Leng's level? If I take the shot, I'll be no better than he is. If I take the shot, then I wouldn't be fit to command. But, if it weren't for him, so many would still be alive. Admiral Kahoku, First Lieutenant Stevens, Sergeant Therix, General Oraka, and those C-sec officers he killed when he got drunk. And he poisoned my parents back on earth.'_

-=0=-

**A\N: Sorry about the long wait for this next chapter, I've been working on some stuff, and trying new ways to improve my writing. The next chapter should be sooner. **


	42. Chapter 41: The Fall of the Assassin

Through the scope of a Widow rifle, Shepard was watching Leng calmly move through the fleeing crowd in the Presidium's main shopping area. _'He poisoned my parents, and would have killed them if he had the chance. If it weren't for him, I would have been able to handle the guards at Henry's place, and found out what really happened to Miri. It's his fault that she ended up with Cerberus. But, what would I be if I take the shot? I'd be just like him. In the end if I want to handle him properly, I'll have to let him go. But, if I let him go, what will he do to the people here? Aren't a few civilian casualties worth killing someone like Leng?'_

Miranda broke the silence by saying, "Jessica, let him go. He isn't worth bringing yourself down to his level."

"He needs to die. If we let him escape he'll kill more innocent civilians, and probably try to kill Anderson."  
"And if you kill him you'll kill innocent civilians. We don't need you to become someone who takes the cold logical course of action. We don't need you to become a monster like Leng and the reapers. And we can't be sure that he's after Anderson."

"It makes sense, have the other assassins distract us, and have this explosion to distract C-sec while he goes after Anderson."

"You have a point, but we can't take the shot, it's too risky."

Shepard looked Miranda in the eye and said, "I'm not going to let him get away. How many dozens of people has he killed here today? And this was probably just the start of what he's going to do. A few people may die today, but in the long run I'll be saving more lives than I'll kill here." She began to pull the trigger, but Miranda tackled her.

"Jessica, don't take the shot. He isn't worth it."

Shepard took a deep breath, and said, "You're right, we need to make sure that no one will else will get hurt. I'll go check on Anderson, you see if you can either take out Leng or help the civilians."  
"I'm on it." Miranda said, sprinting towards the crowd, but when she got there, she saw that Leng had quit moving. He was just standing completely still. She walked up to him, and fired a single round into his skull, which caused it to flicker. Then, Leng decloaked behind her, and tried to stab her, but she dodged. He said, "You're better than I thought, Lawson."

"You always underestimated everyone else. Me, Thane, Garrus, Wrex, and Jessica most of all."

"You're nothing compared to me. I've beaten better than you half asleep."

"No you haven't." Miranda said, flaring her biotics, and wrapping the dark energy around herself like armor. She punched Leng in the face, and the assassin flew backwards into a wall. He fired several rounds from his palm cannon, but they didn't pierce Miranda's armor. She lunged at the assassin, and pulled out a Carnifex pistol, and fired into his left lung. He gasped for breath, and the Normandy's XO kicked him to the ground.

He said, "Stop, you win."

"There's no reason to spare you. No civilian casualties, and you don't have any information that we could use." Miranda replied, before firing five more rounds into him, the first two into his head, the third and fourth went into his lungs, and the fifth and final shot went into his heart.

Jack walked up and said, "Damn Cheerleader, you got him good." before she slit Leng's throat.

-=0=-

Shepard walked up to Anderson and said, "We've got to get out of here. Leng's on the Citadel and just blew up part of the shopping center down a few levels."

"We should be safe at the C-sec office near here."

"If you can think of that off the top of your head, Leng will have thought of it. We need to go where he'd never expect you to go."

"Where are you thinking?"

"I know a place on the wards. No one would expect a councilor to go there. It's a very low-class establishment."

"Quit stalling, and just say where you're thinking of going!"

"Chora's Den. That place was bad when Fist ran it, and it's worse now."

"I doubt that I'd even be able to get in. It's just a meeting place for gangs and the like."

"I'll handle it."

"Alright, but you owe me a drink."

"Sure, when we get to the Normandy I'll be sure to open a bottle celebrating beating Leng."

"Good. Let's get going."

-=0=-

Garrus was waiting at C-sec, when he received a message from Shepard. It said, "Leng's on the Citadel. Taking Anderson to safety. Handle Fade with Ashley and Tali's help. I'll meet you once you have the information you need."

Garrus shook his head, and said, "Figures. Looks like I'll have to handle things my way."

-=0=-

Shepard entered Chora's Den, followed by Anderson. The gangsters that were inside suddenly went completely quite. They turned to Shepard and said, "We don't like your kind here, Shepard."

"We're not here for a fight, just trying to find a place where a few certain individuals won't look for us."

"That's not our problem, leave."

"No. You don't own this place."

"Well, looks like we're going to have to teach the great Commander Shepard a lesson in respect."

Shepard laughed and said, "Bring it."

The first gangster charged, and Shepard slammed his head into a wall, before ducking and kicking another between the legs. She then rolled away from an attacker, and threw a different merc out the door. Three of the customers tried to hit her, but she broke the first's arm and threw her into the second, and flipped out an omni blade and stabbed the third with it.

The merc she evaded charged her with a chair, but she fired a round from her phalanx pistol. He collapsed, and Shepard grabbed another merc, and threw him into the bar.

Anderson had grabbed a turian, and kneed him in the face. Shepard then whipped out a shotgun and filled the area around her with lightning from the weapon's barrel. That ended the fight quickly, as the leader of the gangsters said, "Stand down men. Shepard, you win."

"Good, we just need to stay here until we can guarantee that our enemy is either dead or not available to attack us."

"That won't be possible, Commander." An asari said, walking up to her.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the owner. You've killed a lot of people here today, and done a lot of damage to my club. Be grateful that I'm not suing you for the damages."

"Just let me check if it's safe for the councilor to leave. We've got a Cerberus assassin after us."

"Hurry up, Shepard, I want you and Anderson gone in the next fifteen minutes."  
"That should be easy." She said, sending Miranda a message asking about Leng.

-=0=-

Miranda had finished searching Leng's body, when a message from Jessica showed up on her omin-tool. It said, "Anderson and I are at Chora's Den, but the owner wants us to leave. Is Leng taken care of?"

Miranda's reply was, "He's dead. You can get back here now."

"Good, we'll be there in ten minutes."

-=0=-

Garrus walked into the meeting place he'd arranged with Fade, followed by Ashley and Tali. He asked a volus who had two krogan bodyguards, "You Fade?"

"That depends, do you need to disappear?"

"All three of us do. We've pissed off several powerful individuals who would like nothing more than to see us dead."

"Then I can help you. What would you like to be afterwords?"

"Nothing. We actually want you to make someone reappear."

"Crap. Kill them you brutes!" the volus said, but Garrus and Ashley pulled out their assault rifles and shot the krogan in the head.

"So, Fade, now that your bodyguards are gone. I'm looking for someone, and you're going to help me find him."

"I'm not actually Fade! I'm just someone to cover for him. I can't do anything for you, but I know where to find him."

"Well, tell me then."

"He's in the warehouse district on Zakera Ward outside of Shin Akiba."

"Good, I'll look into it. You better stay here though, because if I don't find Fade there, I'll be coming back here for you." Garrus said, leaving the area.

Outside, Tali asked, "We going there now?"

"We'll have to wait for Shepard. I'm going to head to the Presidium to make sure that Shepard's available to help.

-=0=-

Jessica walked up to Miranda and said, "I see that you were thorough in making sure Leng didn't have any tricks up his sleeve. There anything I should be aware of here?"

"Not that I was able to discover. Leng appears to be clean. However, I'm worried that the Illusive Man would be willing to have him attack the Citadel like this. He isn't usually so reckless."

"He has a plan, and we need to find out what. But, we need to check up on Garrus first. I may not like it, but he has to face Sidonis now, before he loses the chance. Hopefully we'll be able to convince him to not kill Sidonis."

"I doubt it. With what he's been through, I'm surprised that he was even willing to listen to you when you were telling him not to kill Sidonis."

"I know, but I think that there's a chance that he'll listen." Jessica said, when Garrus walked up followed by Ashley and Tali.

"I've found where Fade is hiding."

"I thought you'd arranged a meeting with him." Miranda said.

"There were only a few underlings there. We should go as soon as we can."

"You're right, lead the way Garrus." Shepard said.

-=0=-

Joker said, "EDI, what's going on in engineering?"

"Engineers Donnely, Daniels, and Vael are working on repairing several systems, and they are having difficulties. They have been shutting down non-critical systems across the board to enable them to focus more power resources into the damaged systems."

"Why?"

"The problem is power related. The systems are not properly receiving power, so they are checking if they can find the location of the glitch by sending as much power to these systems. It should be fully repaired in the next three hours."

"Alright, but Jessica will be pissed if the Normandy isn't running properly when she gets back."

-=0=-

Shepard exited the skycar, followed by Garrus and Miranda. There, Harkin walked up and said, "Shepard, I thought you were dead."

"Nope, I guess you're Fade, Harkin."

"Correct, what do you want?"

"Garrus is looking for someone you made disappear. We need you to make him reappear."

"Shit. Kill them men!" Harkin said, and fled through the hallways.

Garrus pulled out a mattock rifle and rapidly fired into the squad of Blue Suns. The rounds flew into the squad of mercs, while Shepard and Miranda sprinted to cover while rounds flew into their shields. Their shields crashed a few feet short of the closest cover, and the rounds that followed dented their armor. Shepard dove into cover, while Miranda covered the Commander with her biotics.

Shepard barely got into cover as a rocket flew over her head. When her shields had recharged, she stood so she could see over her cover, and started firing her harrier. The rounds tore through the shields of the guards, and then killed them with the following bursts from the assault rifle. Shepard walked up to Garrus and asked, "How come your shields didn't break?"

"Used my omni tool to drain energy from the Suns' shields and put them back into mine."  
"Nice. We need to get moving if we're going to catch Harkin and find Sidonis."

"You're right. Let's get moving."

The team moved further in, where they were attacked by more mercs, who managed to take Garrus down with their initial volley of grenades. Shepard pulled out her Cain, and fired it into the squad of Blue Suns, killing most of them in the micro-nuclear explosion. Miranda used Shepard's distraction to get over to Garrus and get him back on his feet.

Shepard had pulled out her phalanx pistol and was using it to finish off the squad. Then, she pulled out her Locust SMG, and sprinted through to the next area, where she was grabbed by a massive mech. It stood well over thirty feet tall, and had enough weaponry to put a YMIR to shame. Shepard tried to get out of its vice-like grip, but was unable, and it slammed her into the ground.

-=0=-

Jack said, "I'm done with this shit. I don't need your help, Chambers."

"Shepard disagrees. You're lucky Shepard didn't kill you. When Doctor T'Soni endangered Miranda indirectly through her actions she was going to throw the poor asari out the Normandy's airlock. Having to go through this is far from the worst thing Shepard could have had you do after that incident."

"Right, care to shut up and let me go?"

"No, the Commander gave strict orders that you were to go through an hour long session every day until I see it safe to cease the sessions. And, you aren't ready to quit going to these, Jack. So, what can you tell me about how you arrived on the Pragia facility as a child?"

"Fuck this, I'm leaving." Jack said, turning to leave.

"If you leave before you've been in the session for at least an hour I'll be forced to tell Shepard about it, and you'll be removed from the Normandy. And this is one of the few places in the galaxy where Cerberus can't get to you."

"Fine, want to know what it was like to show up there as a kid? Try it yourself, Chambers."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Jack. And it would be a different experience for me. I want to know what it was like for _you._"

Jack shuddered as she thought about what it had been like, and said, "It was terrifying. I didn't know why I was there. The guards pushed me around, and when I got put in my cell, they just taunted me for hours until I flared my biotics and tried to throw them out of the room. It didn't work, but they left after that. They'd gotten what they wanted."

-=0=-

The Illusive Man said, "Leng, report."

After several minutes of silence, a VI said, "Operative Leng has been terminated. Former Operative Lawson is responsible."

"Miranda killed Leng. What of the squad to assassinate Shepard and her crew?"

"They have been terminated as well."

"That isn't good, are any of our operations on the Citadel working?"

"Negative."

"Well, have Project Recuperatione report on their status asap. Maybe they'll have some good news."

"Message sent."

"Good, what of Udina? Does he have any reports on the situation on the Citadel?"

"Negative. Udina has not reported in thirteen days."

"Have him send a report my way within the next twelve hours."

"Message sent."

"Good, what about Project Infintas?"

"The Project was a failure. All of the data they had was not enough to expand the human lifespan by even a few months. There was also a risk that it would lead to accelerated aging."

"Alright, what about Project Overlord?"

"Overlord is going slower than planned, it appears that Dr. Gavin Archer is reluctant to put his brother David into the geth consensus."

"Tell him that I expect results in the next two months. If that means putting David into the geth consensus, so be it. We need to find a way to control the geth."

"Message sent."

"Good. What is the status of Operation Liberation?"

"Operation Liberation is in the last stages of planning the attack. All human prisoners on Khar'Shan should be released within the year."

"Good, what of Subject Six from Project Pragia?"

"Subject Six is currently imprisoned on earth for several attacks on humans who are the bondmates of asari."

"Good, that should get him out of the way. That's all, Supremacy."

"Logging you out, sir." The VI said.

-=0=-

Shepard gasped for breath as her back hit the ground at rapid speed. Miranda fired her locust into the mech, but the rounds just bounced off of its shields. She couldn't get to Shepard, and that pissed her off. She activated her biotics and charged into the mech. It stumbled back a step, and tried to grab her. However, its slow, ponderous movements where unable to grab Miranda, and she managed to pull Shepard away to safety while Garrus distracted the mech.

Miranda applied medigel to Shepard, who said, "Thanks, that thing is strong but slow."

"How'd it send you down so fast?"

"In the palm there was a bit of metal that it used to shoot me down. You still have the Particle Beam?"

"Of course."

"Good, we're going to need it. I'll fire on the mech with my widow while you use the Particle Beam on it. At least the council gave us a huge supply of heavy weapon ammo."

"Yeah. Get ready, Jessica."

"I'm ready." the Commander replied as she aimed her widow at the mech. She pulled the trigger, and the round barely pierced through the massive machine's shields. Miranda opened fire with the Particle Beam, but it was very slow in taking down the mech's shields, so Shepard pulled out her Reegar Carbine. The lightning tore through the mech's shields and Miranda was able to put a hole clear through its center with the Particle Beam. The mech quit working when Miranda did that, so Shepard ran up and checked it out. She looked through the hole and saw that inside there was a single turian with a hole in his head. Shepard shook her head and said, "This mech had a pilot."

"Then why didn't he do something about our attacks? Surely he could have come up with some different tactics." Miranda asked.

"He was just a distraction." Garrus said, moving further into the base.

Inside, Harkin said, "See if you can get through this, Garrus." and dropped two YMIR mechs down in front of them. Shepard shook her head and pulled out her Cain firing right into the first mech's head. The round blew the mech's head off as the detonation began, killing the second mech. Shepard said, "Looks like it's time to have a chat with the true Fade."

"Yeah, he's going to tell me where Sidonis is." Garrus said, rage clear in his eyes.

"Don't do anything rash, Garrus. Harkin isn't the one who caused your team's death."

"You're right, Shepard. If you think I'm being too aggressive, stop me."

"I already planned on not letting." Shepard replied.

-=0=-

**A\N: So, after this is a bit of stuff that I wrote down to keep a track of where I am in the ME2 plot with all of my changes. So, here are some of the details on the weapons, squad recruited so far, the Loyalty Missions status of picked up, not picked up, working on writing, or published. I'll update it here when the changes are made. Feel free to read it, and please review.**

**Loyalty Missions.**

Miranda Loyalty-Posted.

Jacob Loyalty-Posted.

Garrus Loyalty-Posted

Jack Loyalty-Posted.

Bau Loyalty-acquired.

Mordin Loyalty-acquired.

Grunt Loyalty-acquired.

Zaeed Loyalty-acquired.

Kasumi Loyalty-Posted.

Tali Loyalty-Acquiring.

Javik Loyalty-Acquired.

Samara Loyalty-Not acquired.

Thane Loyalty-Posted.

Legion Loyalty-not acquired.

Ashley Loyalty-Acquired.

-=0=-

**Squad Recruitment.**

Ashley-Recruited.

Mordin-Recruited.

Bau-Recruited.

Javik-Recruited.

Samara-Recruited.

Legion-Not Recruited.

Garrus-Recruited.

Zaeed-Recruited.

Thane-Recruited.

Kasumi-Recruited.

Jack-Recruited.

Miranda-Recruited.

Jacob-Recruited.

Grunt-Recruited.

Tali-Recruited.

-=0=-

**Normandy Upgrades.**

Scanner Upgrade-Installed When Ship Was Constructed

Armor Upgrade-Installed.

Shields Upgrade-Installed.

Probe Capacity Upgrade-Installed.

Medical Upgrade-Installed when Ship Was first built.

Thanix Cannons-Installed.

Fuel Capacity Upgrade-Not Installed.

Electronic Warfare Protection Upgrade-Installed.

Prothean Drive Core Efficiency Upgrade-Installed.

Electronic Warfare Attack Upgrade-Not Installed.

-=0=-

Ground Team Weapons.

******Assault Rifles****.**

M8 Avenger.

M15 Vindicator.

M96 Mattock.

M76 Revenant.

Collector Rifle.

Prothean Particle Rifle.

Cerberus Harrier.

N7 Typhoon.

******Shotguns.**

M23 Katana.

M27 Scimitar.

M22 Eviscerator.

Reegar Carbine.

M300 Claymore.

N7 Piranha.

******Sniper Rifles.**

M92 Mantis.

M97 Viper.

M13 Raptor.

M29 Incisor.

M98 Widow.

Collector Sniper Rifle.

M90 Indra.

******Heavy Pistols.**

M3 Predator.

M5 Phalanx.

M6 Carnifex.

M358 Talon.

******SMGs.**

M4 Shuriken.

M9 Tempest.

M12 Locust.

M25 Hornet.

Collector Smg.

******Heavy Weapons.**

Collector Particle Beam.

M920 Cain.

ML77 Missile Launcher.

M100 Grenade Launcher.

M622 Avalanche.

Arc Projector.


	43. Chapter 42: Relaxing on the Citadel

Shepard followed Garrus into Harkin's room, and the former C-sec agent said, "Hey, Garrus, can't we just talk about this?"

"Don't worry, Harkin. I'm not going to kill you. But you are going to tell me _exactly_ where a certain customer of yours is."

"I can't do that, my customers don't tell me where they're going. The best I could do would be to arrange a meeting, but that would be bad for business. It would ruin me."

"You know what else would ruin you, Harkin? Not having a head."

"You don't have the balls to do that Garrus. All you are is Shepard's pet turian she keeps on a leash."

"No I'm not, Harkin."

"Then why does she make all of the choices instead of you? When was the last time Shepard showed you the respect of just accepting what you said?"

"Shut up, Harkin! That isn't true." Garrus said.

"She always tells you to not do what's necessary. To give them mercy, because you are her pet. If you act out of line, it will damage her image. The simple truth is you don't have a choice. I wonder if you know what she did on Torfan."

"Everyone knows what she did on Torfan. It was necessary to stop the batarians."

"Do you really think that all she did was kill them? She tortured them for hours before ending their lives by throwing them over cliffs. To her that entire mission was about personal revenge. And here you are, doing a similar mission, and she won't let you do what you want. She won't let you take your revenge."

Shepard said, "Because I learned from Torfan. Just because someone's wronged you doesn't give you the right to kill them."

"Right. Once the Butcher, always the Butcher."

"No, I'm not that person anymore. I was clouded by anger. I'd lost everything, and it led to me losing my way. I shouldn't have done what I did on Torfan."

"Yet you did the same thing on Korlus."

"The Korlus op was an... error. A test. To see exactly how much damage I could do without a gun."

"You were pissed off and became the Butcher of Torfan again. You may try to deny it, but you are still that person. The Savior of the Citadel is just a mask, hiding the violent force behind it."

"Do you think that's all I am? A violent force?"

"I know that's all you are. Just like the Broker does. He sees you as a valuable resource, a shame that you weren't willing to help him. He isn't very happy with you about that."

"You work for the Shadow Broker now?" Shepard laughed, and said, "Too bad, when I've finished my other operations I'm going to kill him. Once you tell us where Sidonis is, you can tell your boss that I will not be his ally. You can tell him I know that he funded the attack on Elysium."

"His predecessor did that. He was a violent creature that one."

"You know who the Broker is?"

"Not the individual, but I do know that a few months ago there was a change in the chain of command."

"That can't be right. The Shadow Broker would have an immense guard force. It would take a squad to take him down."

"This guy proved that wrong. The Broker got careless."

Shepard shook her head and said, "Tell us where Sidonis is."

"I don't know."

"You can set up a meeting though. Have him meet us, or else."

"Or else what?"

"I leave you alone in here with Miri. She doesn't care for the Shadow Broker and his people. They did a few things that pissed her off a while back."

Harkin looked at Miranda, and when he saw the psychotic look in the woman's eyes, said, "Fine, I'll set up a meeting."

"Good. Tell us when and where once that's decided." Shepard said, hacking into the safe in the back of the room.

Miranda walked up to her, and Shepard whispered, "Nice bit of acting there."

"Thanks. Why are you doing that?"

"We need creds. This is an easy way to get them." She replied, as the safe opened.

-=0=-

Jack walked out of Kelly's office feeling very annoyed, the idiot yeoman had told her that she shouldn't go on any missions for at least a week so that she could focus on recovering from what had happened. The convict would have probably strangled the yeoman with her biotics, but the meeting had gone on for about an hour when Kelly had said that. If she didn't go on missions with the ground team she was useless. All she knew how to do was kill. When she reached the elevator, and opened it, Williams was inside it. The Alliance rep asked, "Is there something wrong, Jack?"

"Go fuck yourself Williams." Jack replied, shoving Ashley out of the way.

"That wasn't necessary. You could have just said you don't want to talk."

"Leave me alone, or I will tear out your intestines with my bare hands and then strangle you with them." Jack said, which made Ashley silently get out of the elevator. Jack slammed the button that led to the training area. Inside, she set it to the hardest difficulty, and turned off the safeties.

There were holographic krogan everywhere, and Jack simply slammed several them into each other with her biotics When they got closer, she whipped out her biotic sword and began cleaving through them. The krogan crumbled before Jack's onslaught until one managed to get behind her and fling her into a wall. The convict gasped for breath, and turned around, before she sent a flame-like wall of dark energy. It tore through the charging krogan like butter and damaged the projectors of the training room.

Samara, who had been in the corner silently watching, said, "Your biotics are impressive, but you lack proper control."

"Why the fuck are you giving me a lecture, asari?"

"There is no need for anger, Jack. I am not here to give you a lecture. I merely came to offer you my help."

"Did Chambers send you?" Jack asked, her biotics flaring.

"No, the yeoman did not send me. I came here to do what I can to make sure that you do not make the same mistakes that I one of my daughters made. She was unable to control herself, and is now a blight on the galaxy. I do not wish that to happen to you, Jack."

"Why do you care what happens to me?"

"We are allies, and you are a good person beneath the mask of rage that you hide under. I do not want to see that good disappear forever behind the mask. If I can help prevent that, I will."

"Yeah right. Just like everyone else who wants to 'help' me. You'll just take advantage of me."

"That is not the case, but I can understand why you would think that. I am not like those whom have previously offered you help. I am a Justicar, and we do not use others for our own personal gain. The Code forbids such actions."

"Your Code can go fuck itself. I don't have time for this."

"Your lack of proper control will be your undoing. When you push everyone away, there will be no one available to help you when you need help the most. And, you currently need help more than most. You are a skilled fighter, a powerful biotic, but your lack of control is limiting your potential."

"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm as powerful as any asari matriarch."

"Currently you are weaker than Miranda, Shepard, or myself because you lack the discipline to properly wield your biotics. If you learn that discipline you could become a peerless biotic."

"You're a pretty shitty liar, Samara."

Samara closed her eyes, and said, "I see that you will only respect brute force. If you are willing, we can spar for a while."

"You're on." Jack said, flaring her biotics.

Samara calmly activated her biotics, and threw a warp at Jack. The biotic dodged it, and created her blade. She charged the Justicar, who dodged and hit her with a reave. Jack didn't stop moving just kept trying to get close to Samara.

The Justicar calmly moved away, her moves having a grace and agility that Jack was having trouble keeping up with. Dark energy flowed from her as she calmly dodged Jack's violent attacks.

The Convict finally got fed up and used a shockwave, which Samara simply countered with a barrier. The convict used that opening to slash at the Justicar, but was caught in a net of dark energy. She tried to break free, but was unable. The Con desperately struggled against the web of dark energy, but couldn't. She screamed in frustration, and tried to use her biotics, but it was just too restrictive for her to do the necessary movements.

Samara said, "You see, as you are you cannot win because you are reckless, and don't keep your eyes open for a trap that your foe may have set for you. As long as you use rage as your source of power, there is no way that you can defeat a biotic who is calm."

Jack took a deep breath, and said, "Alright, you win. I'll take your help."

"Good, we shall begin with meditation to help bring you to a calm. After you have found some sense of inner peace I can begin teaching you how to properly wield your biotics. Currently your control of dark energy is clumsy at best."

-=0=-

Jacob walked up to Ashley and asked, "What are you doing, Ash?"

"Looking at the upgrades the Normandy has gotten since Shepard took command. There are a lot more than I thought."

"Yeah, Shepard's gotten the ship a lot closer to being ready than I thought possible. I still don't like our chances though."

"Why?"

"I don't think we can make it through the battle without some sort of fuel upgrade. Who knows how far we'll have to fly past the Omega 4. Then, there's the fact that we don't have the power to hack the systems of the Collector vessel. I mean, EDI's good, but she couldn't get control over any of their systems for more than ten seconds. And those were just doors."

"You may be right." Ashley said, looking over the upgrades, then asked, "What happened with your dad? You don't seem ok with it."

"You mean no one told you? He had forced the crew of his ship to eat food that caused neural decay. They'd been little more than animals for almost ten years. It makes me wonder, what kind of person do you have to become to think that shit is acceptable."

"Sin's lure is great. Even the best men can fall to a simple one."

"Could you please cut out the religion? It is really annoying."

"Sorry, I've just been thinking about it a lot."

"Why?"

"I've had trouble forgiving Shepard, and so I've turned to the scriptures, hoping that they'd show me a way to let go of my anger at Shepard. I mean, you worked with Cerberus and I don't hate you. I don't hate Miranda for working for them. It's just Shepard. And I don't know why."

"Maybe that's not all that you're angry at her over. Maybe that's just the most recent bit that has you pissed at her."

"Maybe, I mean, she kidnapped Miranda's sister. What kind of person could steal a child from her father?"

"Do you know who Miranda's father is?"

"No."

"You may have heard of him. Remember back in 2175 when there was a guy trying to get the Alliance to make slavery legal again?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, that guy is Miranda's father. He spent over a billion credits trying to get the bill passed. And he spent more on illegal cloning technologies so that he could get a _'_perfect' daughter. If they had even the slightest flaw he would kill them. I don't know the details about it, but he decided Miranda wasn't good enough so he was going to eliminate her and replace her with the kid Shepard rescued. And, I was actually thinking of how she left Alenko to die on Virmire that had you upset with her."

"Virmire doesn't matter. It was just another op where we lost someone."

Jacob shook his head and went back to working on the squad's equipment.

-=0=-

Shepard walked up to Sidonis, and said, "You Sidonis?"

"Yeah, you Fade's agent?"

"Yeah."

"What do I need to do to get out of danger?"

"There are a few things you'll need to do."

Garrus whispered over the com, "Get him a few feet over to the right. I don't have a clear line of sight. There's a wall blocking half of him."

Shepard guided Sidonis to the left, and asked him, "First, tell me who do you have after you?"

"Didn't Fade tell you that?"

"No, he doesn't share information freely. I need to know who is after you, and why."

"Alright, he was on Commander Shepard's team when she stopped Saren from taking the Citadel. Stopped the reapers from pouring through. Anyways, a few months ago I was part of a team Garrus had on Omega. The locals had started calling him Archangel, but the mercs didn't like us."

"Shepard, what are you doing?"

"Just getting all of the information before I make a decision." she replied.

"Hurry up!"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Don't worry about it. You were saying?"

"The mercs on Omega didn't like us. So, one night after a job with the rest of the team, I went home as usual. But, Garm, Jentha, Tarak, and a salarian named Ish were waiting for me. They said that I had two choices, help them kill Garrus and his team, or die along with my brothers and sisters on Palaven. I took their offer, and helped them take out Garrus's squad. I didn't want to, but it was to save my family."

"They deserved better." Garrus said, "We all knew that we may die when we started taking on the gangs."

Shepard took a deep breath and said, "Garrus says that the rest of the team deserved better. That you all knew that when you started taking on the gangs that you might die."

"Garrus is here? You have to get me out of here!"

"Sorry, Sidonis, but what happens to you isn't my choice. I don't want Garrus to kill you without good reason."

"Please, don't let him kill me."

"Is that what you said did when the mercs showed up? Beg them for mercy?"

Shepard relayed the question, and Sidonis replied, "No. I was going to fight them, but they told me they had men on Palaven ready to blow my family sky high if I didn't do what they told me to. I tried to do the right thing, but there was no right answer. Every time I close my eyes I see their faces. I don't deserve to be given the mercy of death. I can't sleep because when I close my eyes I see them condemning me for my actions."

Garrus said, "You deserve to die!"

"Death is too good for me, Garrus. I know it may not help you spare me. But if you kill me, It will be the end of my punishment, not the beginning."

Shepard said, "Garrus, if you kill him, it won't be what you wanted. He's a broken man, and killing him will only set him free of the prison he has built in himself."

"You're right, Shepard. Let him know that he can live... for now."

"Garrus says you're free to go for now."

"Thank you. I don't know who you are, but thank you."

"You can call me Shepard." she replied, walking away. Sidonis stood there in shock. _The _Commander Shepard had fought for his right to live. When he was certain that the Commander and Garrus where gone, he typed a message into his omni-tool. A few minutes later, a salarian walked up to him and asked, "What's going on, Sidonis?"

"You're a loose end." Sidonis said, firing a single round into the salarian's heart when no one could see him.

-=0=-

Garrus said, "Thanks, Shepard. I didn't think that would help as much as it did. Letting Sidonis go felt like the right thing to do. At least I'll know that my squad is getting their death's avenged every minute of every day."

"I'm glad you were able to, Garrus. It would have been incredibly easy to just kill him. What you did today was the hard thing considering what had happened."

"Yeah, and I couldn't have done it without you always pushing me to do it. Thanks Shepard."

"No problem." Shepard replied as she entered the elevator in the Normandy.

-=0=-

Shepard walked into the bar and asked Anderson, "What are you having?"

"Just some beer."

"I am insulted, Anderson. The human councilor should be having more than just a beer on my ship. Here, have a glass of this wine from 2012. The year the world was supposed to end, but didn't."

Anderson laughed and said, "Sure, you going to be having a glass too?"

"You bet." Jessica said.

-=0=-

Miranda walked into the training room accompanied by Tali to repair it, and was surprised to see Jack meditating across from Samara. The two women who had come to fix the problem quietly walked back into the elevator, and headed to the bar. There, Jessica and Anderson were drinking wine and talking about the first mission she had been under Anderson's command.

"I remember how you absolutely refused to let me do any of the jobs because you'd told my mom that you'd return me in perfect condition. But when that team of batarian vanguards showed up I was the _only_ one to actually fight them effectively."

"You did well there, I'll admit that. But, Hannah is a dangerous woman if you piss her off. I remember what happened to your dad when he first did it. He was in a cast for the next three weeks because he wasn't going to hit a girl."

"That can't be right. Mom might act tough, but she wouldn't hurt a fly if she didn't see it as a threat to either her job or her family."

"John had a lot to do with that. If it wasn't for him, she would still be the one woman in the galaxy that no man would dare anger. You inherited that part of her personality."

"Mom always said that dad made her a better person."

"John had that effect on people. There were a lot of people who wanted him to step up and be humanity's ambassador when we were given an embassy. He didn't take it though, said that he didn't want to have to deal with politics. That all he wanted to do was settle down with his family."

"Dad always was the kind of person to fight against what he thought was wrong. But not the kind to deal with politics. That was probably why he tried to fight the batarians on Mindoir even though he could barely walk." Jessica said, holding back tears.

Miranda placed a hand on Jessica's shoulder and said, "Relax. No one will think less of you for crying about your father. He was a good man. A shame that he died while mine still lives."

Jessica swallowed and said, "He wouldn't want me to cry about it. He always said that he didn't want there to be anyone crying at his funeral, instead he expected us to laugh about all the good times we had when he was with us."

"Just because he wanted you to laugh about the good times doesn't mean you can't cry every now and then. It's natural to cry over the loss of someone you cared about."

"I know, but I like to think that when I don't cry about it, it makes him smile."

Miranda walked around the couch and set down beside Jessica, and the Commander rested her head on Miranda's shoulder. Miranda asked, "Do you remember when we were kids, how your dad always said that there were brown recluses in the woods, so you shouldn't go out there?"

"Yeah, made me want to go out there and find one. And when I did and it bit me? We ran screaming back to the house. And dad just shook his head and started applying the serum that had been developed around a hundred years ago. Didn't yell, just said that I should be more careful in the future. I was afraid to go out to the woods for weeks afterwords."

"I thought he was going to have an aneurism when he saw you come home so swollen." Miranda said as she wrapped an arm over the Commander's shoulders.

"Nah, dad wasn't like that. We never went looking for one again. But not because we feared the spiders, we just didn't want to disappoint dad. Henry was never able to do that. In all of the time we spent together as kids, we never once didn't do something because he said not to. It was always because my dad said not to. I wish that I could get people's respect like that."

"You already can. You were able to gather a team of various alien species and get them to work together. You were able to get a krogan and a turian to work together. You managed to get a quarian to work with a geth. Even the reapers respect and fear you. They had the Collectors go out of there way to kill you."

"Yeah. Hey, Anderson, what was dad like when he was on an Alliance op?"

Anderson grinned, and said, "You should have seen John on the battlefield. He was almost as good as you, Jessica. There were dozens of times that he pulled our asses out of the fire."

"If he was so good, why wasn't he considered for the Spectres?"

"Oh, the Alliance wanted to put him forward for it, but he told them he wasn't interested. He suggested me to be used instead. Said that I would be better because I didn't have a family back home. My wife had just left me because of all the time I spent out in the field."

"That must have been rough. How come you were the first graduate of the N7 program if dad was so much better than you?"

"John had always been a bit of a troublemaker. If he wasn't so skilled he would have been kicked out of the Alliance."

"Dad never did that when I was a kid. He didn't stand for Henry's shit, but he didn't do anything that the Alliance would see as worthy of a dishonorable discharge."

"After he met your mother, John started to obey orders more, that's when his skills were first recognized and he was sent to the N7 program. Passed it with flying colors. That really impressed Hannah, and a few months after he graduated they were going out. The only time I saw John get nervous was on their wedding day. He could go through N7 training without any worries, and tell the ambassador that he wouldn't be a candidate for the first human Spectre, but that one day had him terrified. He said that he would rather fight an entire battalion of asari commandos than have to deal with that again."

"That happens to everyone. What happened to dad that messed up his legs?"

"He didn't like anyone mentioning it, but you should know. You see, after the end of the First Contact War, he was sent on a mission into turian space to deactivate a nuclear device that we had sent to have a backup if things went sour. There were already several turians there, and he had to fight them solo. The battle went south, and he had to choose to either kill the turians or deactivate the bomb. He let the bomb detonate, killing the turians and running as fast as he could. His ship was nearby, and he managed to escape. In the crash his leg was broken in about thirty different places, and the muscles torn by flying shards of bone. When the Alliance finally found him, it was a week later, and he was almost out of ammo. There were so many predators there that he had been firing almost non-stop. After that he had to leave the Alliance because he couldn't move properly. He hated it, but there was nothing he could do. He never did another op for the Alliance, and it tore him apart. When he heard of botched missions he felt like it was his fault. That he made the wrong choice on that mission. He labeled the turians he fought as terrorists who had taken an old Alliance weapon from when we didn't know what mass relays were. We told him that he saved the Alliance from a massive setback. And that he was able to take out a team more than five heavily armed turians without backup."

"Mom always said that I got my skills from dad. Never did get to see him fight. Shame that the batarians got him in the first wave. Too many of those fuckers for him to handle, especially after that."

"Yeah, it's a damn shame that John isn't around to see what you've accomplished. And, you can be certain that he'd be proud of you."

Jessica smiled, and said, "Thanks, Anderson. That means a lot."

"I don't understand? Why? He isn't your father." Tali inquired.

"He was dad's best friend, so he knew him better than anyone. Except for mom."

"Oh, well, I need to get back to engineering and make sure that the others haven't screwed things up."

"Have fun, Tali. Just don't get too distracted by Lia." Jessica teased

Tali blushed, and stammered out, "What are you talking about?"

"I've seen the way you look at her, Tali. Don't deny that you're into her."

Tali shook her head and said, "Whatever, it won't get in the way of my work." before leaving.

"I hadn't noticed Tali watching Lia."

Jessica whispered into Miranda's ear, "Neither did I. I was just joking."

"And it turned out to be accurate. That's... surprising."

"I'm hurt, Miri! You think I'm not accurate!"

"Just this once, Jessica." Miranda said, quickly kissing Jessica.

"Good, otherwise I may have had to take disciplinary measures." Jessica replied in a sultry tone.

"I wouldn't mind it if you did take."

"Oh really?"

Anderson then said, "Get a room kids!"

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you were there, Anderson." Jessica replied, blushing slightly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure that you had other things on your mind. I should go back to the Presidium and give you two some space."

"Don't worry about it Anderson. However, we could use some upgrades for the Normandy. When I was talking to Samara earlier she offered an upgrade for the Normandy that would improve fuel efficiency."

"Send the schematics to me and I'll have a team of mechanics apply it."

"Thanks, Anderson."

"Now, I'm going to go. Don't want to get in your way. Have fun."

Miranda said, "You may as well stay. After this you might not see us again. We'll be doing a few more missions for the crew, then going to acquire an IFF to enable safe travel through the Omega 4 relay. It's probable that we won't come back to the Citadel until after the mission is complete. If we survive."

Anderson said, "Well, if you put it that way, I guess I should stay and talk while we have the time."

-=0=-

Tali walked up to Lia and asked, "How are the repairs going?"

"They're done, all systems are running at 100%."

"Great. I knew you'd be able to fix it." Tali said, when her omni-tool alerted her that she had a message. She looked at it, and was shocked. That couldn't be right.

"Is something wrong, Tali?"

"A message from the fleet. They want me to get there as soon as possible. It's about my father, and something else."

"Did they say what?"

"No, but they say they expect me there within a week. What is going on?"

"Maybe you should tell Shepard about it."

"Maybe, have you found anything for your pilgrimage?"

"Some schematics for the Normandy's drive core and stealth systems. I think it will be a good gift. I had been thinking of trying to get a ship for the fleet, but this will work just as well."

"Or better. They're always looking for better tech. What ship are you going to be giving it too?"

"Well, I'm from the Qwib'Qwib, so I'm thinking of moving to a ship with a more respectable name, I've narrowed it down to the Rayya or the Neema."

"Those are both good ships. And both would gladly take in someone with your set of skills. You know what you're doing with tech that is far beyond what is normally used by the fleet. It'll be a shame to lost you though."

"Who said that I would leave the Normandy? Just because I have a ship in my name doesn't mean I have to constantly serve on it. And this is more important than whatever the fleet is doing. We're going to be saving entire colonies."

"Yeah. And, Lia, I'm glad that you're going to stay on the Normandy. It's nice to have another quarian to talk to."

"Yeah, I probably wouldn't be staying if I was the only quarian. I feel like the other races don't exactly like me because I'm a quarian."

"Yeah, and some of them were Cerberus, so that may affect it."

-=0=-

Javik looked out the window in his quarters, and said, "My people have survived into this cycle, but only as slaves. Perhaps there will be a time when we are not their slaves. But that time is not now. However, there are several other cryo vaults. Maybe there were others that survived. The ones that have been found are Ilos and Haestrom, but the other three are still lost. There may be more living. Shepard might be willing to look into it." Javik said, going to the bar, where Shepard was.

The Commander and her mate were sitting on the couch. Javik shook his head at the pointlessness of such relationships between two females. He said, "Commander, there is something I would like to look into if we have the time."

"What is it, Javik?"

"There are still cryo vaults that have not been unearthed during this cycle. There may be more of my people alive within them."

Anderson asked, "Where are they?"

"They are on several different planets."

"If you give me the co-ordinates I will move the council towards unearthing the vaults. And any protheans that are unearthed will be sent directly to you. That sound good, Javik?"

"Yes, I would appreciate it, Councilor."

-=0=-

**A\N: Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you thought of anything and everything in the chapter.**


	44. Chapter 43: The Migrant Fleet

Shepard was woken up by Miranda shaking her side. She said, "What's going on, Miri?"

"I thought you weren't going to wake up. You stopped breathing just a minute ago."

"Just a nightmare."

"What was it?"

Jessica shook her head and said, "It was everything. Earth when I heard the false news that you had died. Then when my parents were put into a coma. After that it jumped to Mindoir, hiding under the bodies of the other colonists. Then, I was on Akuze, the threshers hitting the rest of my team and them telling me to run. I managed to get away, but there was a batarian team that ambushed me when I put down an emergency beacon in the vehicle. When I stopped breathing must have been when I saw the battle of the Citadel, but Sovereign fired on us. The beam just tore us apart. I was floating away from my body, and I saw that the entire team had just been killed."

"Luckily that didn't happen. We were lucky that it was busy trying to get the relay opened. Otherwise." Miranda shivered as she thought of what would have happened to the galaxy.

"Yeah, and I don't know how we'll be able to stop them. If Sovereign was telling the truth there are hundreds of thousands of reapers. We don't have the numbers, even with the weapon that should stun them. There has to be something more that we can find. I thought it would be a way to stop the reapers in a single move, but it wasn't."

"We can't depend on there being some kind of reaper off switch. The galaxy is preparing for war, and we have tech that should be able to paralyze reapers. We _can_ win this. But for now we need to focus on the Collectors. The rest will have to wait."

Jessica nodded, kissed Miranda, then went about preparing to get going.

"Remember, the fuel cell upgrades will take a couple of days. It isn't as simple as Samara thought."

"Well, we can have a day off then. Maybe I should get Lia and Tali to come along. That could be interesting."

"Don't do that. The stress might hurt Tali."

"Fine. But, I do have an idea for once we've beaten the Collectors. Sent them back to whatever black hole they crawled out of."

"Could have been an exploding star." Jessica said with a small grin.

-=0=-

Kasumi walked up to Kelly and asked, "Having fun, Kelly?"

"Of course, I'm planning my next session with Jack. I think that I may need to try another approach."

"Giving up already with the typical Q and A method? That is soo not like you Kelly."

"With Jack it doesn't work. Half the time she's lying, and half the time she just doesn't respond to the question."

"Oh come on Kelly. You're not using the current method because you're trying to beat Samara. You think that you can help Jack more quickly than she can. It's so cute to see you try and beat her."

"Kasumi, that doesn't really matter. I have work to do right now. I am only doing my job as the crew psychiatrist."

"Of course you are. Let me know if it works!" The thief said as she cloaked and walked away.

-=0=-

Garrus was working on calibrating the Thanix cannons when Jacob walked in and asked, "Can you give me a hand, Garrus. There's a bit of trouble in the armory."

"What is it?"

"The Collector Beam is starting to fall apart, and I don't know how to stop it. I think it's some kind of defense mechanism that prevents it from being stolen and reverse-engineered."

"Alright, there any other Collector weapons following suit?"

"Not yet, but Ashley's working on them to determine if they will. So far we've found evidence that the assault rifle doesn't have the same design that does that."

"Well, we should get to work on that Particle Beam." Garrus said, walking to the elevator.

When it reached the next deck, they went to the armory, and Garrus started examining the particle beam. He took out a few pieces here and there, before he put them back and said, "I have no idea how this damn thing works. Maybe Javik will know."

-=0=-

Javik was staring out into the stars, when Garrus and Jacob walked in. The turian asked, "Javik could you give us a hand? We're having some trouble with a piece of Collector tech falling apart."

"Have you tried removing the micro-scanner that only scans a few inches around the weapon? The piece that was put in all of our weapons to prevent them from getting stolen by the enemy."

"No, we didn't know that such a thing existed. Where would it be?"

"In the handle, an inch above the power cell."

"Got it. We'll pull it out." Jacob said.

-=0=-

When the piece was removed as Javik had suggested, the Particle Beam quit falling apart, and started taking pieces that had fallen off back in.

Garrus said, "That's weird. I wonder if the protheans had that kind of tech to make their guns repair themselves."

"We could always ask Javik."

"Are you crazy? Chambers tried to talk to him once and he threw out of his room with his biotics. I'd rather not have that happen to me."

"Too bad, I'll let you know how it goes." Jacob said.

-=0=-

When the human returned, Javik asked, "Did the removal fix your problem?"

"Yeah. I was wondering if your people had tech that made your weapons use micro-mass effect fields to put themselves back together."

"No, that would be inefficient."

"Right. What did you do when your weapons started to fall apart?"

"We put them back together with our hands. Now I would advise that you leave."

"Just one more question about your weapons tech."

"No, leave."

"Come on. Would it be that hard to answer?"

"If you do not leave now I will forcefully remove you from my quarters."

"Alright. Wouldn't want you to send me flying through the door like you did with Kelly."

"You are starting to get on my nerves, human. Quit talking and go." Javik said, slightly flaring his biotics.

Jacob quietly walked out, and sighed in relief when he got in the elevator and took it to the CIC. Garrus was waiting outside the elevator, and said, "You lasted five minutes longer than I expected. Now I have to pay Joker fifty credits."

"You were betting on how long I would last before I had to leave Javik's room?"

"Yeah, and it lost me fifty credits. Did Javik answer any questions?"

"Yeah, but he is one grouchy ancient. I thought that the protheans had to have at least some kind of specialty that enabled them to conquer the galaxy. I suppose there's always their grouchiness, but that's about it for the protheans."

Garrus laughed, and said, "At least you don't have to worry about him explaining too much for you to understand. Or insulting you for being dull."

"Really, Garrus?"

"Well, I've heard that your last girlfriend left you because you weren't interesting enough. Something along the lines of you not being that interesting for someone who worked in Alliance special forces."

"Right. Who told you that? Joker?"

"Nope."

Jacob looked confused, then asked, "Zaeed?"

"Nope."

"Shepard?"

"Nope. It was Miranda." Garrus said, walking up to the bridge.

Joker said, "Ha! Told you that he would last at least ten minutes."

Zaeed said, "Damn, I thought the kid would last longer than that. I suppose that just shows how useless the Alliance's special forces training is when dealing with a prothean."

"Yeah, yeah. Pay up both of you."

When both Zaeed and Garrus had paid, EDI said, "That is an inefficient way of supplementing your income. If you were trying to get more credits it would be simpler to hack into vaults or sell excess medigel and tech like Shepard does."

"Yeah, but Shepard gets all of that stuff. And I can't exactly go on the ground missions. Even with the Cerberus upgrades I can't exactly move around very quickly."

"You got Cerberus upgrades? What did they do?"

"A heavy bone weave is what they called it. Laced metal through my bones to try and cover for the weaker structure."

"Oh, what Shepard had done to her a few weeks ago while we were in transit."

"Yeah. That. It's really effective. I can actually walk, don't need a wheelchair."

Thane asked, "Why did you not receive this weave from the Alliance?"

"It's not exactly popular with the brass in the Alliance."

"Why would they oppose something that is not illegal, and does not reduce the effectiveness of their people?"

"They say that it could easily be messed up, and if it is screwed up, well that person can't move until the metal's removed or it will break their bones."

"How often has that happened?"

"In the last three thousand operations for it? Three times."

"So the procedure is harmful a thousandth of the time? The benefits outweigh the potential risks with those odds." Thane said.

"I wish the Alliance was like that, but it isn't." Joker said.

-=0=-

Mordin was working on recovering the data on the genophage, when Shepard walked in and asked, "What you working on, Mordin?"

"Recovering genophage data. When Jack hit the training room systems I had linked the data to it to look at it in three dimensional space. Damage caused deletion of data. Will need time to regain it. Luckily had backups in three different systems. Just need to receive the data."

"That's good. What have you found out about the Collectors."

"Wanted to talk to you about that. After reviewing data recovered from Collector ship, have found disturbing data. Not prothean origin. As they decayed, the reapers supplemented them with tech. They have no culture, no advancements, no art. No heart, replaced with tech, no brain, replaced with tech, no eyes, replaced with tech, no soul... replaced with tech."

"I didn't think you'd be the kind of person to care about art."

"Personal interest negligible, sang a little. Cross species productions for cultural exploration. Gilbert and Sullivan, always had me do the patter songs. But, not about me. Cultural artistic expression reflects philosophical evolution. Interest in growth, perspective, observation, interpretation. Suspect you won't see any art in Collector base. Culturally dead, tools for reapers. Worse than the heretics."

A few seconds later, Shepard shook her head, and said, "Sorry, I zoned out for a second there. But did you say that you sang Gilbert and Sullivan."

The salarian nodded, and began singing, "I am the very model of a scientist salarian. I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian. I'm quote good at genetics as a subset of biology because I am an expert which I know is a tautology." He then held the next words, "My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian, I am the very model of a scientist salarian."

Shepard burst out laughing, as she finished recording the video. "I am so posting that on the extranet. The crew has to see this."

"Glad you enjoyed it, Shepard."

"Yeah, we should be able to go and rescue your assistant soon." Shepard said.

"Appreciate it, Shepard."

"No problem."

Tali then walked in and said, "Shepard, I've got a slight problem. The fleet wants me to be back within a week from yesterday."

"That isn't much time. Did they say why?"

"All I know is that it is related to my father. I don't know anything more than that."

"We'll go there as soon as we can. Sorry about putting off helping your assistant, Mordin. But this sounds really urgent."

"I understand, Shepard. So much to accomplish, very little time. If there isn't time, will understand."

"I'll make time, trust me."

"Sure you will if possible. Data fully recovered, need to get back to work."

"Talk to you later, Mordin."

-=0=-

Jondum Bau entered Javik's quarters, and said, "Javik. I would like to discuss certain matters with you."

"Leave. I must be alone for now."

"This is no ta matter you can avoid. The Salarian Union requires data on the reapers. And your people had the most recent data."

"Leave. Now is a time of silence for those who have passed on." Javik said, turning his back on Bau.

The salarian stared at the prothean for a moment, then left the room. Shepard had gathered a strong squad, but he didn't trust them. Especially Mordin Solus. The scientist was hiding something from the rest of his people, and Bau didn't like it. He needed to find out what it was that Solus was working on. The Commander wouldn't like it if he interrogated the professor. He had to find a way to get the information without the Commander noticing.

Shepard walked up to him, and asked, "What are you doing, Bau?"

"I came to see if Javik would be willing to share any information that the protheans had gathered on the reapers. He was reluctant to speak."

"Yeah, I can guess that. There anything you need to do that mission you mentioned?"

Bau was quite for a moment, then said, "Professor Solus's talents would be appreciated. He was a skilled operative when he was still with STG. Kirrahe spoke very highly of him after genophage modification completed."

"Why do you know about the genophage modification project?"

"Spectres are well connected. A few contacts of mine were able to acquire the information. He disappeared for a while afterwords, before popping up again on Omega. I am quite curious on what led him to abandon his work with the STG so early. He could have become councilor if he had stuck with STG. And he was always ambitious. The only member of his clutch to do anything great."

"Mordin's ambition lies in the scientific fields, he isn't interested with politics."

"Perhaps, but why would the most promising scientist in the last thirty generations leave his work so early? He was young when he left. Could have served for years more."

"Does it matter why he left? He did."

"Motivations a key part to understanding the way people will act in the future. Lack of that understanding could lead to loss of control of the area. I am looking forward to the day when I find out what he has been working on lately, and what he plans to do next."

"Don't try anything, Bau. I don't want anything happening to Mordin. He's got a lot more he can do for the galaxy."

"I wouldn't imagine harming professor Solus. But, there are several dalatrasses who would be happy to be rid of him. His knowledge of genetics is extensive, and he has a mind capable of forming plans that would effect the galaxy for millenia to come."

"Then we have to hope he doesn't make a mistake that tears the galaxy apart. And if the reapers kill us it won't have any effect a thousand years from now."

"Let's hope they don't kill us. I'll be working on figuring out how to get onto the Cerberus station on the Derelict reaper."

"Good, and maybe our friends in the Alliance will have found something on how to stop Indoctrination. Otherwise, I don't know if it is possible to win this war."

"Indeed, looking forward to life after the reapers. Not looking forward to a battle that leaves the galaxy uninhabitable because of Reaper corpses."

"I'm sure we'll find a way to safely dispose of them. Might send them into Haestrom's sun."

"That would be quite the sight. The reapers end being melted down into nothing."

"If that would even destroy them. We don't understand their tech."

"Studies have shown that if Sovereign had been hit with six Thanix cannons mounted on frigates its shields would have collapsed in three minutes of continuous fire."

Shepard nodded, and walked away.

-=0=-

TIM said, "What? Leng's dead? Why didn't he fall back?"

"Lawson has received considerable training in her time on both of the Normandy class vessels. Currently she is as skilled as any N7 in active duty. Operative Leng had been off duty for several years, only performing the tasks which Cerberus had given him."

"That is not acceptable! Leng was supposed to be our top agent!"

"It was already known that he was inferior to David Anderson, the deceased John Shepard, Thane Krios, Jessica Shepard, and Subject Zero before she was released from Purgatory. His demise was probable considering the amount of time he spent fighting those individuals who were still alive."

"Yes, but we now don't have anyone who can stand a chance against them!"

"Not currently, but we do possess the resources to construct reaper upgrades. If we were to put them into use, we could turn raw recruits into full fledged marines in a few hours."

"No! I will not Indoctrinate my own people if I can avoid it. We'll do things the old fashioned way. Have you found anything that would aid Project Recovery?"

"We believe we have found another storer. If we are correct, their should be a report on its status within the next week."

"Good. We need one of them if we're to get more advanced. The reapers need to be defeated. Shepard takes second place to that. Once the reapers are gone and Project Recovery has been completed, we can deal with her. Contact Henry. I think that it may be time that our alliance with him be advanced to the next stage."

"Message sent. He will be arriving in his QEC to speak directly with you shortly."

"Good. I don't have much available time. What is the status of the other projects?"

"They are running as well as could be expected. What do you wish to be done with Operative Leng's corpse?"

"Let the Alliance keep it. He failed us, and will not be receiving a second chance. He doesn't have a Cipher like Shepard does."

"Very well. Orders have been sent to Udina." The VI said, when Henry Lawson stepped forward.

He said, "Why did you want to see me, Jack?"

"Henry, we worked together a long time ago. Back before the rest of the galaxy was sure that there was alien life we knew that there was more than just aliens out there. We knew the reapers were coming, and that humanity had to be able to stand alone if we were to have a chance of defeating them. You're a good friend, so I'm offering you back your job with Cerberus as one of the three heads."

"Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this than you are saying?"

"We lost an important operative today, and we need something to put morale back into the troops. Having the famous Henry Lawson as a member would be a massive boost."

"You always are thinking three steps ahead. Why do you want me to resume my position as the head of science division. I thought you liked your complete control since I retired and you had the head of military … relieved of duty."

"The head of military was removed, and replaced. Science hasn't had a head in a while, because I figured you may want to come back. You may even get to create your perfect daughter with our tech."

Henry looked TIM in the eyes for a few moments, then said, "Very well. I shall retake my position as the head of the science division."

"Good, and remember Henry, I still have the final say on what Projects are canceled. We can't afford to take anything away from Recovery in particular."

"How long has it been since that made any actual breakthroughs? A decade?"

"It was more recently. Several advancements it made possible were used to bring Commander Shepard back to life."

"So, it has been of import. You will have to get me up to date on everything."

"We'll discuss it first thing tomorrow. There are several things I need to look into right now."

"I'm looking forward to learning what you've done to science in my long absence. Probably ruined it."

-=0=-

Shepard shook Anderson's hand and said, "We'll see you when we get back from the mission through the Omega 4. If we don't make it back, Anderson. Find a way to stop the Omega 4 from being traversed by anyone. Even if that means you have to destroy it."

"We won't destroy a relay, Shepard. No one knows what would happen, but it's thought that it would destroy an entire solar system."

"We may have to use that against the reapers. We do not need the Collectors as well as the reapers."

"Just be sure to make it out alive, Jessica. I'm sure you can pull that off."

"We don't know if we'll even make it safely through. But, if it is possible to make it safely through I will make sure that the entire team makes it through."

"I'm sure you'll do the Alliance proud. Give the Collectors hell."

"Yes sir." Shepard said as she entered the Normandy.

Tevos asked, "Are you sure they'll survive?"

"No, but if anyone can go through the Omega 4 and come back to tell the tale it's Shepard."

"We must hope that she does. If we lose Shepard again, the galaxy may follow. She is the only one who has ever spoken to a reaper and walked away herself."

"Shepard will get the job done. One way or another."

"You're probably right, but I can't help but feel that something is lurking beyond the relay other than the Collectors."

"We don't even know where the relay goes. I'm sure that Shepard will get out alive. If the relay is safe to traverse, and it isn't something about the way the Collector ship's armor is designed that enables safe transit through it." Anderson said, getting into the stretch skycar that was waiting for him and Tevos.

-=0=-

Thane looked at the Citadel, and shook his head. Kolyat had been reluctant to talk, but he had anyways. Thane wondered how much his son put on his head. Irikah had died because of his work. If he had retired before then, she would not have gone to the deep. Thane shook his head, and walked out of the drell quarters. He was greeted by Samara, who said, "Thane, I require your assistance."

"With what?"

"Aiding Jack. She respects your skills, and I believe that you could help her with her meditation."

"I thought you had the situation under control, Samara."

"She is not taking the training well, because she does not trust any asari. It is due to something in her past that she does not wish to speak of. I think that you could have a greater influence on her."

"I will do what I can. After all, I owe you for helping me hunt down Irikah's killers."

"Thank you, Thane. And, I wish there was some way I could bring her back. But, that power is not mine."

"Indeed. It would help Kolyat to have her influence in his life, but she is no more."

"I must go. There are things that I must get done before we head to the Omega 4 relay."

"Is it related to the Ardat Yaktshi you were hunting?"

"That is a conversation for another time." Samara said, heading to her quarters.

-=0=-

Jack was sitting in the training room waiting for the Justicar to show up and tell her what to do. She didn't trust the asari, they weren't natural. It didn't make sense how they could live that long, and never appear to age. It was like they were fucking Aes Sedai. Great, now Jack was thinking about some of the old books that she'd read when she was part of that fucking cult. Her thoughts were interrupted by Thane who said, "Samara is unavailable to help you with your meditation today. So, I will be assisting you today. First, sit as such. Then breath in and out, emptying your mind of thought and emotion. When you have done so, we can continue."  
-=0=-

Kenson looked at the object, and once again heard the voices of the reapers. The more time she spent around it, the more certain Kenson became that the reapers were the final evolution of all life. That nothing could hope to defeat them, not even their creators, if such a species had ever existed. Steven may think that destroying the reapers was the way of survival, but what if they could join them on their plane. The reapers were nearing the galaxy, and when they had made their arrival, nothing would be able to stop them.

One of the scientists walked up to Object Rho with a bomb, and said, "This damn thing is indoctrinating you all, I won't let it take me too."

Kenson shook her head, and fired a round into his head. The fool wouldn't see the glory of the reapers. Sovereign had been but one of many. And their forces were indestructible when together. She laughed as she heard the voices tell her of the future. How humanity would be raised to reaper form. How they would ascend.

"Soon. Soon we shall be victorious. Oh, Steven. If only you knew the glory of what you seek to destroy."

-=0=-

Hackett was staring at the galaxy map, and more specifically the figure that showed if the reapers numbered even a thousand ships like Sovereign that the galaxy wouldn't be prepared for them to have an easy victory for another three years. That wasn't enough time. Even if the council had been faster to get on board from the beginning the reapers would have not been able to find a way to eliminate the reapers. He shook his head. Thanix cannons and the new disruptor weapons had given them a serious advantage over previous cycles, but he didn't think the galaxy was ready for the enemy.

"Yeoman, contact Urdnot Wrex."

"Yes sir."

A few moments later, Wrex asked, "What do you want, Hackett?"

"We heard your people are having trouble making progress on a genophage cure. I think it would be beneficial for us both if you were willing to let a few more humans on Tuchanka to do research."

"We aren't letting any aliens on our soil for a while because we've got some trouble with another clan. If members of a council race were to be killed on krogan soil it could make us look bad."

"Would you let Shepard land on Tuchanka?"

"Shepard's different. She knows how to fight. She's almost a krogan herself."

"What if we sent a team of N7s with them?"

"Not good enough. If they aren't as good as Shepard, or part of her team, I'm not letting any aliens on Tuchanka. Maybe later, but not now. Our borders are being pushed hard, but the krogan sent by the other clan are weak, almost as if they're sick."

"That's interesting. Why would they attack like that if all of their warriors were ill?"

"I don't know. Maybe their boss told them to."

-=0=-

Jessica looked at the Widow relay as they approached it. Joker said, "Man, who would have thought that this may be the last time we see the Citadel, because we'll be going through the Omega 4 relay after we do some other stuff. You do realize that this is crazy, right?"

"Better than dying because of a surprise attack."

"Yeah, hopefully that won't happen again. I don't want to even imagine what would happen to Miranda if you died again. All the time we were on that planet she was just crying. I don't think she ever actually stopped."

Jessica shook her head, and said, "I should have been faster. If I'd moved more quickly I could have gotten into the pod too."

"There was nothing you could do. They were trying to kill you personally. They'd probably have shot there when you were close enough to get hit by the blast."

"Well, let's hope that the trip through the Omega 4 goes better than our first battle with them did." Jessica said while the mass relay extended an 'arm' of dark energy, and flung the Normandy through the corridor of mass free space. When they came out, Joker set course for the next relay in their journey. After a few short minutes at light speed they reached it, and went through, to where the quarian migrant fleet was.

Tali walked up and said, "I haven't seen the fleet in weeks. Strange how it seems so much longer than that."

"Yeah." Jessica replied, staring at the multitude of ships. One of them turned towards the Normandy, and opened fire. Joker managed to evade it, and tried to contact the ship.

"Dammit!" Tali shouted, "Why have they opened fire?"

A voice came through the speakers, and said, "State your name and purpose, Cerberus dogs!"

Shepard took a deep breath and said, "You can call me Commander Shepard, and we're here because you wanted to speak to one of my crew, Tali'Zorah vas Neema."

The quarian said, "Hold your fire for now. If Tali'Zorah is on your ship, have her verify."

Tali said, "After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light, and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began."

"Verification confirmed. Dock on the Rayya. The trial will begin immediately upon arrival in the courtroom."

"What do you mean, trial?" Shepard asked.

"That can't be discussed on an open channel."

"You better have good evidence that Tali's done something wrong. Otherwise, you won't be very pleased with my next set of actions." Shepard said, heading to the loft.

-=0=-

Miranda was lying on Jessica's bed wearing only her underwear, when the Commander walked up to her, pushed a strand of hair out of her face, and said, "Come on, Miri. We've got to go and make sure that the migrant fleet doesn't do something to piss me off."

The former operative grabbed Jessica's hand, and pulled her onto the bed, and said, "Or we could stay up here."

Jessica laughed, and said, "I'd love to, Miri. But what's going on is serious."

"Well, if it's that serious, I'll be ready in three."

"Good, sorry that we're too busy to relax up here." Shepard said, equipping her Kestrel armor.

Miranda put on a set of Blood Dragon Armor, and the Commander, said, "That's what you're wearing?"

"Of course. I thought it looked nice."

"I was hoping I'd have something to look at while on the Rayya."

"Miranda smiled, and kissed Jessica before putting on her helmet. She said, "If what we're doing is so important, I don't want you to get distracted."

"Very funny, Miri. You aren't really wearing that are you?"

"Why shouldn't I? It's nice and safe."

"Why not wear that other suit of armor I got you? The plated version of your cat suit?"

"I thought you didn't like that one."

"It looks better on you than the Blood Dragon armor." Jessica said as she entered the elevator.

-=0=-

**A\N: Thanks for reading, and please leave constructive ****criticism.**


	45. Chapter 44: Tali Loyalty Start

Shepard was standing completely still, while Miranda was cloaked in the corner. Shepard had decided that it would be best to have a way to take control of the courtroom that the quarians didn't know about. Especially after learning what it was about. Standing in the middle of the court, was Qael'Tharn. He'd returned to the fleet two nights ago carrying a large number of geth pieces. Shortly after Tali's father Rael had taken them to the research ship Alarei, they had lost contact. As it was related to Tali's father, they had waited for her arrival to begin the trial, but they could only delay it so long. If Qael was found guilty, as he'd already been exiled, they would have no choice but to execute him for the safety of the Migrant Fleet.

Tali asked, "What was father working on?"

"Rael was a secretive man, Tali, we don' t know what he was working on. However, it required geth parts, and he said that it would enable us to take back the homeworld. When we lost contact with the Alarei, we sent in a team of marines. The three that made it back reported that there were active geth on the ship. We believe that Qael's geth material was the catalyst for this chain of events." Han'Gerrel said.

Shepard asked, "Why was Qael exiled?"

"For his work with Saren and the geth which endangered the fleet."

"Qael didn't work for the geth, he worked with the heretics who serve the reapers. If you know what's best for your migrant fleet, you should try to make peace with the true geth so that you can start preparing for the reapers arrival."

"I did not know that you had sympathies towards the geth. Especially after the attack on the Citadel."

"The geth that attacked the Citadel are not the geth who have my sympathies. The geth that I have sympathies for are the ones that your people tried to eradicate because they were becoming aware. And it wasn't even all of you."

"We are already aware of this, Commander Shepard. This information was Tali's pilgrimage gift. It does not change the fact that we need to destroy the geth so that we can take our homeworld back."

"If you were willing to accept that the geth don't want this war, you could have your homeworld back in a few days time. You don't have to fight the geth, if your people actually sought peace with them, they'd welcome you back with open arms."

"You don't know that, Commander." said Admiral Raan.

"I don't know if Tali told you how she got her data, but it was from a geth who was on the original Normandy for a while before returning to his people to push them towards peace. For two years they've had the most advanced of them pushing them to make peace. And, I'm sure Tali has been doing the same with you."

"That is irrelevant, Commander. What the Migrant Fleet does is not under your authority as a Spectre. Last I checked, the Council had removed our embassy on the Citadel for creating the geth." Gerrel replied.

"Not for creating them, for trying to kill them then losing your homeworld."

"Are you going to chastise us for our failures, at least we do not work for an organization that we were working against two years ago!"

"Neither did I, I was just using Cerberus as a tool to stop the attacks on human colonies. And what about the kid Veetor? If it weren't for me he would have been stuck in that shack of his until he died. If you think you can accuse me of being a member of Cerberus, then you haven't done your homework. I left the organization after the Collectors attacked Horizon."

"Why would you leave the organization funding your operation?"

"The Illusive Man and I... disagreed on a certain matter that was too important to have one of us let it slide. So, I left Cerberus and took my crew with me. We're not Alliance operatives, they work for me, and I work for the Council. So, if you don't trust me, you're saying that you do not trust the Council."

Han'Gerrel sighed, and said, "Very well, what do you want us to do? Apologize to the geth?"

"That would be a good starting point. Something along the lines of, 'sorry we tried to wipe you out three hundred years ago' would go a long ways towards ending this stupidity. If you want, I can take a diplomat of yours into geth space to begin negotiating. I'd suggest Admiral Koris, seeing as he's one of the few here who doesn't want to wipe out the geth."

"Now is not the time to talk about this. We need to resolve the situation on the Alarei." Koris said, "Tali, what would you suggest we do about it?"

"Shepard and I can go aboard the ship and clear out the geth. That will save the fleet a vessel, and any quarians who may have managed to avoid the geth so far."

"Very well. You may now go, but there is one thing we will have you do, take Qael with you. Perhaps he will reveal more to you than he did to us." Raan said.

Shepard said, "No. I'm not taking that son of a bitch with me. I do not trust him, and I don't take people I don't trust with me into a ship filled with geth."

Qael said, "Shepard, I don't work for Saren anymore. I thought I proved that on Virmire when I helped you take out that abomination that Nihlus had been turned into."

"Right, but for all I know that was all part of Sovereign's plan to get my guard down so that you could shoot me in the back first chance you got. And don't think I've forgotten what you did to Orianna."

"I was just following your suit."

"No you weren't." Shepard said, "But, since I don't want to talk about this with a few dozen people watching, you can tag along."

"Thank you, Commander."

"Don't thank me. I'll probably be putting a round in your head at the end of this."

"Then why spare me on Korlus?"

"Because, I had more urgent matters to see to at that time. I needed to talk to Okeer, so I let you go."

Miranda decloaked, and said, "If you do anything that I find suspicious, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

"Yes. But, you don't have to worry. I'm not your enemy."

"Really? Well, that's too bad. Because I sure as bloody hell am your enemy, after what you did to Ori on Feros you should count yourself lucky that I haven't just put a round through your skull, maybe mess up Thanoptis' neural program that makes your body think it's in a suit."

"That fell apart a while ago. But, my immune system had been built up in the time period that it was active that I no longer need a suit."

-=0=-

Jack tried to stretch her legs, but Thane said, "We are not finished here. Until we are done, you must ignore everything outside of you, focusing yourself inwards."

"That's real nice, Thane, but we've been at this for hours."

"Three hours is a short amount of time to be meditating for a trainee. You should quit your complaining."

"Yeah, yeah. But I've got to go deal with Chambers too. I'll get back to this later."

"No, we will continue. There is still plenty of time in the day to do this for another hour."

"That may be the case, but I'm not fucking interested in doing this any more right now."

"To continue, even if you want to quit, is a key part of learning meditation. You will stay another hour, then you can go deal with Chambers and her psychological exams."

"That's real fucking funny. I'm leaving." Jack said, getting up, when Thane forced her back to the ground with his biotics.

"You will continue for another hour, then you can leave."

"You want to try that again?"

"If necessary." the drell calmly replied.

Jack sighed, and went back to meditating.

-=0=-

Grunt was staring out of his window, into the cargo bay, where the small human, Jack, and the drell Thane were sitting. He did not understand why the fools insisted on sitting in the middle of the cargo bay when they could be killing things. The krogan shook his head, when the door opened, and Ken walked in. "What are you doing in my quarters, human?"

"Relax, Grunt, just here to do some repairs. You see that wall with the dent in it? Well, it's leaking a bit, so I've got some omnigel, and am going to use it to seal the leak."

"What is it leaking?"

"Oh, nothing to worry about. Just a bit of gamma radiation from the fusion reactor in the engine on the far side. You see, to reduce weight, the wings are ribbed, so that you don't have to work the ship as hard to move it. Anyways, it'll just take a minute." Ken replied.

The krogan stood there, quietly watching the engineer. When he was done, he said, "See, no problem. Just doing my job as engineer. If that leak had been there for a few weeks, you'd have gotten cancer mate."

"Go."

"Alright, don't bite my head off." Ken said, as he dashed out the door.

Gabby asked, "Looks like you got the leak fixed, good thing we noticed it. Shepard wouldn't be very happy if one of the squad got cancer. What do you think they're doing on the Rayya?"

"I don't know, but it's obviously serious if they were opening fire on a ship because Cerberus built it. Even though it doesn't have the Cerberus colors anymore."

"You're probably right, but I don't like not knowing what's going on."

"Yeah, but that's life, especially on a ship run by Shepard. She isn't one for sharing that much info if she doesn't either think it's important, or know you really well."

"Yeah. Well, I'm done with my calibrations. Want to play some poker?"

"Sure, but I've still got some calibrating to do myself. Maybe you can get Chambers and Kasumi to join in the fun. I'm sure they'd be interested."

"Alright, but you better be up there in the next half hour, or you are so not going to have a chance."

"I'm sure I'll do just fine."

-=0=-

Bau was working, when the door opened, and a small ball floated into the room. He drew his pistol and was about to fire, when it produced a hologram of the dalatrass. She asked, "Have you been able to figure out what Professor Solus is working on?"

"No, I am afraid I have not."

"Hurry, if you want to keep your Spectre status. Remember, I got you that position. I can pull a few strings and make it look like you messed up a mission so badly that the Council will have no choice but to remove you."

"That's not necessary, ma'am. I am doing what I can to find out, but Solus is very protective of his secrets. I think that I will be able to get it once he has left the ship to find out what has happened to Maelon, who was recently seen on Tuchanka."

"I will expect it within the month. Unless that is found, I will not be able to defend you from a certain _mistake_ you will make."

"Ma'am, I have always been a loyal member of the Salarian Union, why the sudden threats?"

"Commander Shepard has an effect on people. Perhaps she has already undermined your loyalty to your own people."

"No, I am only here on the Council's request to have another Spectre on board, to keep Shepard in line."

"Maybe now, but for all we know, you will be in her pocket in a week. How goes the plan to get into batarian space and recover the reaper artifact?"

"It is working well, but the Leviathan of Dis is an incredibly risky artifact to try and recover. I gave Shepard a false story about the true nature of the mission. If we are to defeat the reapers, we will need to investigate a reaper that is whole, as this one is. The only way to get it is incredibly risky though. We will have to move three dreadnaughts into batarian space to tow it. Are you prepared to make such a move?"

"If it will get us the Leviathan of Dis, yes."

"Then we should be able to proceed with the plan once the other problems the crew has have been taken care of."

-=0=-

Javik looked out at the vast expanse of space, and examined the quarians' Migrant Fleet. The ships were old, they would not be able to take down a reaper dreadnaught without heavy losses. The only way that this fleet would be of any use would be as bait against the reapers. Their marines were skilled, and could be used on the ground to take out any husks, or other reaper creations that would come against the besieged peoples of the galaxy. The quarians were fighting their creations the geth. He remembered how his people had once been able to co-exist with the Zha'til. Then, came the reapers, who took control of them. That was the fate of the geth, but they were more advanced than synthetics in his time. Perhaps their neural network would protect them from the reapers. He would have to hope so, because he knew that Shepard would never accept destroying them as the only option. They were her allies, both sought to destroy the reapers.

He saw a shuttle fly to one of the ships, and pulled out his sniper rifle to examine it. The Commander, two quarians, and her lover were in it. They were discussing something, but he could not tell what. Then, the shuttle landed on the vessel, and he lost sight of them. The protheaan shook his head and exited. He never had understood the point of the interspecies or same-sex relationships this cycle was so fond of. It would not produce any children, so was a pointless endeavor. Though, perhaps his people had been the same before the reapers came. Perhaps such beliefs were due to the need for more troops to fight the enemy that came from beyond the Citadel relay.

He stared at the quarian vessel the Commander had first been on, and decided to go and see what they were doing. He would not just sit in his quarters growing soft while the Commander went off to fight. When he reached the elevator, he saw that the thief was in it. The cheerful criminal asked, "You going up too?"

"Yes."

"Well, then feel free to hop on in."

Javik silently did so, and the thief asked, "So, what was it like in your time?"

"You will see what it was like when the reapers arrive."

"Oh, come on Javik, surely you can say something about it."

"I have told the galactic militaries what to expect. They are teaching their people what to expect. There is no need to discuss it with a criminal."

"That hurts, Javik." Kasumi replied, "For a while I thought you actually liked me."

The prothean did not reply, but instead exited the elevator which had just opened. When he exited the vessel, and entered the quarian ship, a marine asked him, "What are you doing? We said that only three members of Shepard's ground team could come on board!"

Javik said, "You may call me Javik, the prothean avatar of vengeance."

"The protheans are extinct. Return to your vessel."

-=0=-

Kasumi walked up to Kelly, and asked, "So, how did your session with Jack go?"

"Yesterday's went fine, but she hasn't shown up for today's. I'm thinking Thane is keeping her extra long."

At that exact moment Jack walked in and collapsed onto the coach.

"I'll be going. Have fun Kelly!"

Kelly grinned, and replied, "I'm looking forward to having Jack finished. Maybe I can go back to just being a yeoman then. Don't steal anything Kasumi!"

"Aw, now what am I supposed to do?" The thief asked with a slight pout.

"Gabby and Ken are playing poker down in your quarters. You could join in."

"Fine." The thief said, cloaking and walking away.

-=0=-

Shepard walked up to a terminal, but was attacked by a group of geth. She was going to fire on the machines, when Miranda grabbed them with her biotics and slammed them into each other while Tali and Qael shot them with their pistols. Shepard then activated the terminal, which played a video of two quarians talking. The male said, "We can't make any more geth without more parts. If we're going to find a way to hack into their systems, we'll need more pieces. What was recovered from Haestrom?"

"The pieces recovered from Haestrom are not enough to construct any more geth units. But, if we were to get more different pieces, we should be able to do so." The female replied.

"Well, maybe there is more near the edge of the Perseus Veil. Send a squad of commandos there."

"We can't do that, sir.. The marines aren't under our command. We're scientists, not soldiers."

The video cut out, but Tali said, "Why was my father trying to order marines into geth space? That's insanity, they wouldn't make it back."

Qael said, "Because, he was planning to attack the geth. We need to destroy all of the data on this station. If it is kept, we won't be able to find a way to control the geth. Which means it will take the reapers longer to learn how to hack them."

"You're right. Come on team. We need to find the central control station. Maybe we'll find a bit more info there." Shepard said, taking point with her harrier at the ready. Carefully scanning the area before she moved forward. Miranda had re-activated her cloak, and was sneaking around ahead, when she saw a group of three geth. A prime, and two rocket troopers. She walked back and reported. When the team came across the group, Shepard overloaded the prime's shields while Miranda overloaded the shields of the rocket troopers, which created a massive amount of feedback in the geth's systems, destroying the shield generators, which caused an explosion which tore the geth apart from the inside.

Shepard charged up a biotic attack, and when it collided with the prime, she formed an omni blade and stabbed it in its single eye. The geth reached up as if in pain, while Shepard flared her biotics, creating a blade of dark energy like Jack did. And beheaded the machine. She calmly made the blade vanish, before creating a barrier around herself, and pulling her harrier back out.

The next room was empty, but the Commander wasn't one to take chances, so she threw in three arc grenades, which took out nothing. She continued in, but saw a terminal. It activated, and showed Rael talking with a different female quarian. He said, "This is the future. This artifact recovered from the moon of Haestrom will enable us to control the geth with ease."

"I don't like it. It looks a lot like the geth flagship that attacked the Citadel. And whenever we're around it, our heads begin to hurt, like it's messing with them."

"You're over-thinking it. This is just a geth device that stores a large number of geth programs."

"We should just destroy it. We don't know what it will do."

"Don't worry. It isn't anything dangerous." Rael said as the video ended.

"It looks like Rael was working with reaper tech. That isn't good." Miranda said.

"Why wouldn't father be more careful?"

"I don't know. But, I hope we'll find out soon." Shepard said, before firing a round into the terminal, destroying it. She popped in a new thermal clip, and entered the next room, where they saw twelve geth. Shepard pulled out her M-920 Cain, and aimed it into the center of the group. She flared her biotics to their max and created as strong of a barrier as she could. She slowly aimed it right into the center of the group of geth. She didn't notice that Miranda was also using her biotics to protect her from the blast, so she closed her eyes as she held the trigger until the round was ready to fire. She released it, and turned to sprint away. Time seemed to slow as the round from the heavy weapon flew towards the geth. Shepard was sprinting towards Miranda when the blast hit her, sending her flying into the woman. The Commander's helmet had fallen off, and so she slammed her head into Miranda's. As blood started to flow from the Commander, four geth charged. Tali and Qael opened fire, but were quickly taken down by them. Miranda started to drag Jessica away from the battle, when she felt a mechanical hand hit the back of her head. Shepard glared at the machine, and tried to flare her biotics, but nothing came. She couldn't use her biotics, and the rest of the team had fallen. The Commander's eyes glowed red as she quickly slapped medigel onto her wound. She pulled out her harrier, and fired on one of the geth, when she saw that its eyes were red, not white. She swore, as she fired on them. Her rounds having no effect. She tried to use her biotics, but what little came wasn't enough to fight with. She looked at Miranda, and said, "Sorry. I've got to do this. It's the only way we'll survive." before she fired several grenades into the geth, and then covered it in a river of lightning. Even as the thermal clip began to burn, she kept firing. Ignoring the safety measures she had told her crew to follow, when the weapon started to expand in her hands, she threw it into the middle of the geth, and watched as it exploded, killing all but one of the geth.

Shepard tried to pull out her pistol, but the geth had the upper hand. It slammed her into the ground, and as she blacked out, she saw it dragging her away from Miranda.


	46. Chapter 45: The Assault of the Machines

The end of the prothean cycle. Javik's POV.

I stood along the edge of my ship's airlock. The cryo vault on Eden Prime was lost, so Haestrom was the next destination. I saw one of my men, who had been turned into a tool of the reapers. He had been a good soldier, but he was lost. I pulled out my rifle, and fired into him for a few moments, then, when the abomination had collapsed, I saw many more of the machines' monstrosities. As I fought, there was one that was different. It was shorter than the others, and had no weapon. It was mutilated, and suddenly the flesh pealed away, revealing a long blade where the bones had been. I fired into it, but heard the voice of the Harbinger say, "Assuming direct control of this form."

I fired on the creature, until my rifle overheated, and the creature leaped onto the ship. I tried to kick it off, but it pushed my leg away, and slammed me into the wall. As it attacked, I raised my arm to block the blade. My armor managed to resist the attack, but barely. I flared my biotics, and flung it out. As the creature collapsed, its eyes quit glowing. Harbinger moved ever closer, and I hoped that it would not fire on my vessel. Several fighters flew towards the reaper, and tried to distract it, but were taken down. The ship came after us, while a frigate flew behind it. The vessel fired its beam cannons, which failed to distract the reaper. I aimed at the massive machine, and fired my beam rifle into it. Hoping that it would do some form of damage to the reaper's kinetic barriers. One of my men came out and said, "We're about to go into space, you should hurry up and get in."

"Good, but Harbinger is right behind us."

"We'll deal with that later. If we don't get to the relay in thirty, it'll be closed. Next stop is Haestrom, so you should be prepared for a long trip,Commander Javik."

"I am ready for more than that."

-=0=-

Tali stirred, and asked, "Shepard, what's going on?"

The female quarian who Tali's father had been talking to said, "You will be watching the final days of the Migrant Fleet come to pass. The loyal geth will soon arrive. There will be nothing that they can do to stop the chosen of the reapers."

"What are you talking about? The geth don't know where the Fleet is. And even if they did, why would they attack?"

"Because, your friend Legion is unique. It fed you a lie. There is no split amongst the geth. They are one whole, cohesive, unit. And their fleet is coming to end this one."

"Why do you want to destroy the fleet?"

"Because, they are enemies of the masters of this galaxy. The reapers have controlled the galaxy for over a billion years. Who are we to try and usurp their place?"

Tali asked, "If they're the masters of the galaxy, why do they hide in dark space while we advance unhindered?"

"Is a single species worth the attention of those who have been at work for billions of years? Ensuring that there is no time when the species of the galaxy have destroyed themselves with their ignores."

"You don't know that! There had to be some species long ago that was able to find the tech to create the reapers and the relays. If they could, then so could we."

"You do not know what you are talking about, child. At our current level, we cannot advance. We were only able to find mass effect technology by what was left behind by those who came before us. Who built on those before them. Going back to the time of the reapers. They are the first. A race of naturally evolving machines who can control other races."

"There is no such thing as a naturally evolving group of machines. Machinery does not work that way." Miranda said.

"How could we know what it was like over ten billion years ago. Perhaps something changed after then."

"You're willing to betray the Migrant Fleet to a heretic armada because you _think _that there _may _have been a time when things evolved differently? You're completely insane." Tali said.

"There is nothing you can do, Tali'Zorah. Just as there was nothing that Rael could do." The quarian rebel said as she kicked the body of a dead male forward.

Tali said, "NO! Father! What did you do to him?"

"I did nothing. The geth he tried to use did this. His fate is that of all those who attempt to use that which is their superior."

"You don't know what you're talking about. The geth aren't superior." Miranda said.

"Perhaps not yet. But in time they shall rise to the same height as the reapers themselves. And there is nothing you can do to stop it."

Miranda and Tali were quiet for a few moments as they scanned the room. Qael was in a corner near Tali, but Shepard was nowhere. Miranda asked,"What did you do to Jessica?"

"The Commander is being prepared for transit. Harbinger would like to have a chat with her."

Miranda glared at the quarian and tried to flare her biotics, but it didn't work.

-=0=-

Shepard looked around her, as she tried to get out of the chains the geth had put her in. She managed to ever so slightly flare her biotics, but beyond that, there was nothing she could do. She tried everything she could, but it made no difference. Then, one of the geth noticed the Commander's struggling and hit her on the back of the head. Shepard managed to stay conscious, but was a bit delirious.

Several quiet minutes passed before a geth grabbed the chains holding her in place. They tossed her into the shuttle that she'd arrived in. A single unit took control of the vehicle, and started to activate it, when suddenly the port side of the Alarei was hit by fire from another vessel. The docking bay door jammed, so the geth simply hit Shepard with a tranquilizer.

-=0=-

Javik watched in surprise, as the Normandy had flown in and fired on the ship Shepard was on. He contacted the ship and asked, "What's going on?"

Joker replied, "EDI did a quick scan of the Alarei a little while ago and found that Shepard and the rest of the ground team were incapacitated. From what she could tell, they'd been separated."

"Understood. I will see what I can get done."

"That is not required." EDI said. "Grunt, Ashley, and Bau are moving in using a spare Kodiac shuttle."

"That would explain the ships changing their positioning. The Civilian Fleet has been sent furthest away from the mass relay. And the heavy fleet is preparing for possible attack."

"Not possible. Tali sent a signal to the Flotilla that the geth could be showing up soon." EDI reported.

"Understood. I will do what I can to ensure that this ship does not fall to the enemy."

"Understood. Once Shepard and the ground team have been taken from the Alarei we'll pick you up."

"Very well." Javik said, preparing his biotics.

-=0=-

The quarian traitor asked, "How did you alert them?"

"You don't know as much as you think you do. I've got a few tricks." Tali said, as she activated her omni-blade. As it deployed, it cut through the chains holding her in place. She fired an incinerate at the traitor, giving her time to cut Miranda free.

The human flared her biotics and used them to fling the quarian into the reaper artifact. The traitorous quarian pulled out a pistol and fired at Miranda. Miranda's barrier blocked the round, and Tali pinned the traitor to the floor. She was about to stab her when Miranda said, "We don't have time to waste on her. They've got Jessica, and are going to take her to the Collectors."

"Yeah." Tali said, cutting Qael free from his chains.

Miranda quietly went about working, when Shepard walked through, followed by Grunt, Ashley, and Bau. She said, "How are things going in here?"

"That quarian's indoctrinated."

Jessica nodded, and moved to the center of the room where Rael's body was. She asked, "Is this your father, Tali?"

"Yes. She had him killed."

"Why are the geth following her orders?"

"The artifact is probably behind it. We need to destroy it somehow."

"I've got a solution. EDI, do you have control of this ship's systems?"

"Yes. What are your orders, Shepard?"

"Activate the Alarei's engines and move to the star in this system. We need to completely destroy this reaper artifact."

"Understood. It will take thirty minutes to reach the star itself, but the point of no return is twenty-eight minutes away."

"Got it. Team, you heard the AI." Shepard said.

They tried to get to the exit, but were blocked by a group of geth primes. Grunt charged one, and pushed it out a window. The team put their breathers on, and fired through the shields and armor of the geth primes that remained. Shepard dropped a multi-arc grenade into the group, and sprinted out, covering more ground than even Grunt. A few minutes later, EDI said, "Fifteen minutes have elapsed. You have thirteen minutes to exit the ship."

"Can't you slow it down?"

"Negative. To prevent geth interference I locked it in. Not even a reaper could stop it before the point of no return."

"Try to slow it down, EDI!" Shepard said

"I have begun working on it. You are still five minutes away from the shuttle."

"Great. We may not make it. Miri, how are you guys doing?"

"We'll be fine until we reach the shuttle. Hopefully there won't be any more geth."

"Yeah."

Just outside of the door to where the shuttle was, there were seven geth primes. Shepard swore under her breath, and flared her biotics higher than anyone else had seen. Shepard forged a blade of biotic energy and wrapped biotic armor around herself. She sliced one prime in two with a single movement of her blade. Then, she ducked and sent a shard of dark energy through a second prime. The third prime slammed Shepard into the wall, but the Commander twisted in midair and kicked off the wall, and propelled herself through the machine. The machine stuttered to a halt as its systems failed due to the massive hole in its chest.

Bau had taken out a prime with Tali and Qael's help, while Miranda and Grunt took out another two. Then, the entire team converged on the last one. As all of their attacks converged the machine collapsed, as it fell into a half dozen different pieces. Tali opened the door and started prepping the shuttle for launch. The crew entered, and Bau started helping.

EDI said, "Three minutes left, Shepard."

"Shit! Tali, how long 'til you've got this shuttle out of the Alarei?"

"The engines are hot. We're exiting now." The quarian said, as the shuttle lurched forward. It turned, and returned to the Normandy, just as a group of geth cruisers came through the mass relay. A pair of quarian cruisers fired on the ships, damaging their shields, but achieving little more. The Normandy flew up and Tali landed the shuttle, as the cargo hold was closed. Joker said, "Glad to see that you didn't get flown into a star."

"We are too, Joker. What's the status outside?"

"Well, a geth fleet just showed up, so things should be getting interesting just about now. We're going in to take out a few of their ships. The Thanix should do some good damage to their ships."

"Hopefully. There anything we need to do?"

"Not really. Kasumi went to pick up Javik from the Rayya, so the crew should be back together soon."

-=0=-

Outside was utter pandemonium amongst the vessels of the quarian Migrant Fleet as it tried to fend off the geth force, that in stark contrast to the chaos of their creators, were moving as a unified whole. A quarian dreadnaught had succumbed to geth fire when another group of ships came through. They were of far different design than that of the machine aggressors, they looked almost like they had grown from a world, instead of having been made by organic or synthetic hands. As if mother nature herself had decided that it was time to teach the races that she had nurtured how to fight in space. There were a total of seven ships in this group, all covered in stone, a sign that they were of Collector make.

From inside the bridge of the Normandy, Shepard saw their arrival, and knew that if they didn't get backup, and soon, the quarians would be the first to go extinct in this cycle. She said, "EDI, contact Admiral Hackett. We need backup if we're going to beat these bastards."

"Understood. Transmission sent, you can speak with him on your terminal in the CIC."

When Shepard reached her terminal, Hackett asked, "What's going on, Commander?"

"We have a big problem. One that requires the help that you are one of the few people in the galaxy can actually offer."

"What's going on, Shepard."

"There is a heretic fleet here, and it's attacking the quarians. We need your fleet if we're to drive off the enemy. And, there are also Collectors here."

"They don't normally engage in open combat like this."

"This is different. We're almost at the end of a cycle, so they've become more active. If you can't get that fleet here, the quarians will be made extinct. And I won't let that happen on my watch."

"Shepard, I'll get the Fifth fleet there as soon as I can, but it will take a while to travel all the way to your location. Good thing your shipboard VI sent that with the transmission to talk."

"Yeah, she's been given a bit more freedom than most Vis.

"Be careful, Shepard. I don't want to lose any more soldiers than I have to."

"I'll be as careful as I can. But, the Normandy is seeing this fight to the end... one way or another."

Hackett nodded, and said, "Our ETA is two hours. Hopefully you can make it through that."

"We'll see what we can do. EDI, have the stealth drive activated. We're going into the core of the enemy fleet."

"Understood. Stealth drive active, co-ordinates?"

"The geth dreadnaught leading this fleet. If we manage to take it out, we might win this fight. And, we could possibly split the fleet in two by doing this. But, just to be safe, put maximum power into the kinetic barriers. I will not lose another Normandy."

"Understood. Barriers at full. Further orders?"

"Have the Thanix cannons ready to fire once we're in range."

"Understood. What about the Javelin missiles?"

"Fire those once the kinetic barriers are down. That should do some good damage to it."

"Understood. However, scans indicate that the crew is not handling the stress of sneaking into the middle of an enemy fleet well."

"Got it. Put me on the loudspeaker."

"You are up, Commander." EDI said.

Shepard closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, "Men, I know that the odds are against us. We're heading right into the center of an enemy fleet. Some mights say that it is impossible to do this and survive. But those same people are the ones who told me that it wouldn't be possible to reach Ilos, but I managed it, because I had a crew of the best professionals in the Alliance. And you are better than they were. If there is a single crew in this galaxy that can pull off this attack, it's you. When the Collectors hit Illium, most would have just given up and died, but you fought them off! Most would have given up when they were told they were going to be fighting a cruiser in a frigate, but you did your jobs with a professionalism that I had never seen before in my life! Most would have mutinied when they heard that they'd be going through the Omega 4 relay, but you have stayed the course! You put the best the Alliance has to offer to shame, because you aren't bound by the same regulations that they are! You are not fighting for a single government, a single army, or even a single race. You are fighting for the entire galactic community! You win where others would lose because you don't consider yourselves to be members of any group, save one. You see yourselves as members of the group that we all are, members of the galactic community! Men, we've done what many said was impossible many times on this trip, what should make this time any different? We're going to strike that dreadnaught where it couldn't possibly expect us to be. And then, when this fight is over, we'll just take care of any leftovers trying to escape the relay. However, if this goes bad, I want you to know, that it has been an honor serving with you all. And, that if we don't make it out, I'll buy every last one of you a drink at the bar in heaven. May whatever gods are out there give us a hand as we fight through the geth forces." Shepard solemnly finished, before returning to the bridge.

When she looked outside, what she saw was awe inspiring. They were slowly flying through the geth fleet, getting ever so near to the dreadnaught at its head. Not a single ship was turning to face them. The geth flagship's lack of windows would be its undoing. The Normandy approached it at a crawl, and when they were finally in range, the stealth drive disengaged and the Thanix cannons roared into life. As the beam of molten metal hit the dreadnaught's kinetic barriers, it lowered their power immensely.

EDI said, "The barriers appear to have been upgraded from before. They have been designed to resist fire from the Thanix cannons. It is possible that the geth received such technology from Sovereign."

"Got it. How many more hits?"

"One more attack should take down their kinetic barriers, long enough to eliminate the dreadnaught with the Thanix." EDI said as the Normandy turned around fired again. When the weapon stopped firing, the javelin missiles fired. The dreadnaught was not taken down, but it was weakened.

EDI then said, "Kinetic barriers at five percent capacity. Recommend temporary withdrawal to ensure Normandy's survival."

"We came in here with a single goal, EDI, take down that dreadnaught, no matter what it took. What's been hitting us?"

"A geth cruiser turned its attention our way. I'm trying to dodge it, but there is only so much I can do against them while keeping us at an angle to hit the dreadnaught." Joker said.

"Understood. Point out the cruiser, I'll take care of it." Shepard said.

"It's that one." Joker said, pointing at a cruiser in front of them.

"Understood. EDI, have the ground team meat me in the cargo bay."

"All of them?"

"Have Mordin, Bau, and Grunt stay behind to keep the ship safe from any boarders."

"Understood. The rest of the team on the Normandy have been told where to go."

"Good. Hopefully we'll provide enough of a distraction on it to keep the Normandy safe for a while."

"Yeah, you are aware that the Kodiac doesn't have a stealth drive, so it could just be shot out of the sky, right?"

"Yes."

"Don't get yourself killed, Jessica. Miranda wasn't the only one who was depressed for a while after you died."

"I didn't know you cared, Joker. I'm touched, but, I'll be fine." Shepard said, heading to the kodiac.

-=0=-

Hackett asked, "What's going on, ensign?"

"The relay isn't taking us through. I don't know why, but it is not accepting our signals."

"That can't be right. Try it again. Different frequency."

"I've tried every frequency in the book, Admiral. The relay is not taking us through."

"Dammit! Do something about it!"

Several more tense minutes passed, when suddenly the relay sent the ship's flying through, and a message appeared on the main screen. IT said, "We apologize to all who have been inconvenienced by the recent temporary shutdown of mass relays, but in order to properly study them, it was necessary." and it had the signatures of the entire council.

Hackett thought, _"Great. The council is studying relays, and that means that it may take a while to get to the Flotilla. Hopefully there is some way to handle this without having to wait thirty minutes to get through every relay."_

-=0=-

Kalisah Al'Jilani asked, "Councilor Anderson, what do you have to say about the rumors that Commander Shepard was involved in the recent terrorist attack on the Citadel?"

"The terrorist attack is still being investigated by C-sec. They would appreciate it if I didn't tell the galactic community anything about it."

"Surely you can spare some details."

"No, it is an ongoing investigation, so I cannot tell you what is going on with it."

"Is this what you would tell an asari reporter, Councilor?"

"Yes, I am not biased like some of my colleagues." Anderson said.

"Don't you agree that the people deserve answers about the recent events on the Citadel?"

Anderson shook his head, and said, "I've had enough of your tabloid journalism." before punching Al Jilani in the face. The irksome reporter fell to the ground, and was pulled away from Anderson by his guards. The former N7 shook his head, and said, "Why didn't you do that earlier?"

"It didn't seem necessary." The turian replied.

"Right, do you have any idea how many times I have punched that reporter?"

"Seventeen times sir."

"What? Someone actually kept count?"

A human said, "That guy keeps a count of how many times Al Jilani gets punched by people she tries to interview ever since she wouldn't stop pestering him about an ongoing investigation a couple of months back."

Anderson laughed and continued walking through the marketplace to his house.

-=0=-

The Migrant Fleet had gained a small advantage as several geth vessels had turned in and were firing on something in the middle of their fleet. Admiral Xen said, "That is interesting. It appears that a split amongst the geth has occurred. Perhaps it would be possible to convince them that we are allies after all."

Gerrel said, "Doubtful. This just proves that the geth cannot be trusted. This is the first geth assault since the Battle of the Citadel."

Reegar said, "You're all a bunch of idiots. If Shepard says that there are a large number of geth we can trust, there are a large number of geth we can trust."

"Marine, I don't remember asking for your opinion on the matter."

"You didn't ask for it sir, but you also haven't seen what kind of person Shepard is. If she's pushing you to making nice with the geth, that means it is entirely possible to do so."

"That is not your concern, Reegar. You've been trained to shoot, not settle three hundred year old disputes." Gerrel replied.

"Don't tempt me to put that training to use." Reegar muttered.

That was when a female said, "Easy, Kal. If you shoot the Admiral, all it will do is get you exiled."

The marine shook his head, and said, "You're right. Always knew how to keep me in line. One of the main reasons I married you."

"Yes, but now isn't the time for talk. You need to get out there and help your men take out those geth."

"My job's to protect the Rayya until a verdict has been given to Qael, so I can stay here until then."

-=0=-

The quarians were pushing their advantage, when a Collector cruiser, all of which had been staying on the fringes of the fight. Opened fire on a quarian dreadnaught and destroyed it with three shots. Three quarian cruisers converged on the vessel, and managed to destroy it. A message came in from the Normandy's VI. It said, "We have a small problem. We're in the center of the geth fleet, and are trying to finish off the dreadnaught, but there are several cruisers giving us a hard time. If you could push at them, we could be able to take out the dreadnaught. We've marked a cruiser to not be attacked. Shepard's taken the ground crew onto it to create a bit of a distraction."

"We'll work on it. But, it will take some time to get to where we've got any of them distracted."

Joker said, "We don't have long. I'm good, but not good enough to successfully evade the attacks of six cruisers at the same time."

"We'll do what we can. However, we can't make promises."

"Alright, but if I lose this ship, I will be taking one of yours." Joker said.

-=0=-

Shepard exited the shuttle, and opened fire on the geth inside. The first three geth fell under the attacks of the ground team, but there were dozens more. Shepard took point, and was going to fire on a guard, when Miranda cloaked, and a blade spouted from the machine's chest. Miranda then returned, and said, "Thanks for teaching us that technique. It has proved incredibly helpful."

"Whatever, Cheerleader. We've got a ship to sabotage."

Miranda shook her head, and headed deeper into the vessel. There were a few geth guards in front of the door to the main cannon room. While the team took aim, one turned towards them, but before it could warn the others, weapons discharged into it and its companions. The machines stuttered for a few moments- trying to function, despite having holes through almost all of their systems- before falling to the ground.

In the next room, there were no guards. Tali and Shepard set about sabotaging the weapon systems, while the others killed any geth that came to prevent the sabotage.

-=0=-

The Normandy was flying through when one of the cruisers quit firing, it turned to fire on the dreadnaught, but was hit by a pair of geth fighters. The ship was rocked by the explosion, but stayed on course long enough to fire the Thanix and the javelin missiles. Then, the dreadnaught fired on the attacking ship.

-=0=-

**A\N: This chapter was fun to write. Thanks a ton for reading, and please review. Without your reviews, this would never have gotten this far. If you've liked the story so far, please review. Your reviews inspire me to write. And, also, please send me ideas on mini plots not related to the main story. I'd really appreciate any of your ideas. (Please don't just send in generic sex requests. I like to think of this as a largely story focused fanfic. I know that I'm not that skilled a writer, when I started this, I did it almost entirely to get feedback on how to improve my writing.) If there is a reasonable way to improve the story, I'll do it. And, please let me know how I could bring more emotion into it. I feel like the characters don't feel truly alive. Again, thanks for reading. **


	47. Chapter 46: The Butcher of Torfan

As the round from the dreadnaught's main cannon flew towards the SR2 it seemed as if time stood still. Joker was the only sign of movement on all of deck two of the Normandy. When the round missed the frigate, it seemed as if life returned to the rest of the crew, and they frantically went about their assigned tasks.

Joker flew low and close to the dreadnaught which was sitting perfectly still as if it had accepted its fate. As the Thanix cannon and javelin missiles fired into the vehicle, so did the dreadnaught's main cannon, right into another geth vessel. The one that the ground team had boarded to create a distraction. Joker watched in horror as the ship split in two from the dreadnaught's attack.

Joker glared at the wounded dreadnaught, and said, "Shit! EDI, do something to that dreadnaught. Hack into its systems or something."

"That is not possible, Mr. Moreau, Geth ships are simply large geth platforms that have smaller platforms and runtimes inside."

"Shit! Is there any way you can get in the systems on that cruiser which was just destroyed?"

"I have already scanned the vessel, Jeff. Any organics that were on the cruiser are now dead. However, the shuttle has not been detected."

"You mean they could still be alive?"

"Yes, but it may have simply been vaporized as it received the brunt of the attack."

"Well, we'll be finishing off that dreadnaught in ten seconds." Joker said, as he dodged the attacks of the cruisers. Several of their rounds hit the dreadnaught, leaving it very weak as the Normandy fired on it once more. As the Thanix's beam of molten metal hit it, alongside a pair of javelin missiles, the ship was torn into millions of pieces. Joker did a U-turn, when a transmission came in. It was from Hackett. It said, "The cavalry has arrived."

-=0=-

While the SR2 was receiving the message from Hackett, the entire fifth fleet burst through the mass relay. As it opened fire on the geth fleet, the Normandy activated its stealth systems, and flew out of the center of the fleet. The geth saw that they could not win, so they turned to flee, but were surrounded by the quarian and human fleets. There was nothing left for the geth to do, so they just opened fire with everything they had, while the Collectors fled.

The multitude of rounds from the geth fleet managed to do some damage to the quarian fleet, but the Alliance vessels were handling the fire easily. When the fleet had managed to destroy the geth armada, Hackett asked, "Shepard, what's the status of your ship?"

Joker silently said, "Jessica didn't make it. She boarded a geth cruiser to provide a distraction, and it was destroyed with her on it. We lost our leader, and most of the ground team."

"You can't be serious."

"I am not joking, sir. Jessica is dead."

"That isn't good. Have you checked the area around the destroyed cruiser for her and the team?"

"We're looking now sir, but there is nothing."

"Keep looking, the Fifth fleet will help you."

"Thanks, sir."

"The galaxy needs Shepard alive." replied Hackett.

-=0=-

TIM said, "Were we correct? Was a storer located?"

"Yes, but it will take some time to get it to share information. The reapers had it made to preserve information, but they didn't think of a way to have it easily removed." an ensign said.

"At least we were right. The loss of the first storer was a serious blow. What about the other projects in that cluster?"

"They are going well sir. But, we have a bit of an issue. The geth attacked the Migrant Fleet in this sector. It appears there are more heretics than we thought."

"Yes. What about the Klendagon reaper?"

"It is still being worked on, but it appears that the team is slowly being indoctrinated, even though the reaper has been inactive for an extremely long time."

"How much time do they have left?"

"A week."

"We can't get anyone there to replace them in that time frame. Have them evacuate the facility while we send in a new team."

"That is not possible, sir. There are no shuttles there, because we did not want anyone to flee when they learned what may be happening to them."  
TIM shook his head, and said, "Tell them that they are to get the IFF out no matter what the cost. At least we were able to get that from Taylor before he left."

"Yes, I believe it was on Shepard's orders. That way you would remove the IFF, and enable them to traverse the Omega 4 relay once they had recovered it."

"Well, I have a plan for if they try to steal my reaper IFF. Have Operative Shadow recover it. If Shepard wants the IFF, she'll have to give me what I want."

"And what would that be?"

"Her to return her ship and crew to Cerberus. I can't lose that many men and such a powerful ship. Especially when we're so close to making a breakthrough with Recovery."

"Operative Shadow is preparing to move no, sir."

"Good. What is the status of Project Overlord?"

"It will require more time. They have not yet checked the multitude of possibilities that could happen when David is plugged into the geth consensus. Dr. Gavin Archer is requesting more time."

"Tell him about the recent attack on the Migrant Fleet. I do not want to lose any humans to them when we could prevent it."

"The message has been sent. Do you have any other orders?"

"Send the girls in."

"Understood." the ensign said as she left. A few moments later a pair of attractive women entered the room.

-=0=-

Jessica stared out the window of the Kodiac drop shuttle. It had lain dormant for the last three hours while they had observed the battle between the geth and Alliance fleet.

Jack said, "Well shit, now we're stuck in a dead shuttle that can't move. Got any bright ideas, Shepard?"

"Not at the moment. I don't know how to get this thing moving again. The door is sealed shut by the heat from the blast as we pulled away from the cruiser. The engines have been fried, and we can't reach them from inside the shuttle. We're stuck here until we get a signal to the Normandy."

Miranda said, "Yes, at least until we can get an omni-tool running so we can get a signal out. The only other way we can get out of this mess is to blast a hole in the wall of the shuttle and have someone fire at a ship, but I don't think that would be a very smart way to get ourselves found."

Jessica stared out the window, and asked no one specifically, "This is like Akuze. Everything in a mission was going fine, then I made a bad call and my entire team paid for it. And they sacrificed themselves to save me even though it was my fault that we spent the night in a thresher nest."

"It was a Cerberus trap." Miranda said.

"I know, but why did Cerberus do it? And why did my men sacrifice themselves to save me?"

"Because you were the best there, and they knew it. You were an N7 who had become one of the most famous humans in the galaxy. If you had died there, it would have been a massive blow to humanity."

Jessica nodded, then asked, "Why didn't you try and meet me after I became famous for Torfan?"

"I didn't think that the Jessica Shepard I had met as a child would do that. I thought that it was just someone with your name."

"I was angry then. It reminded me of Mindoir, how the colonists couldn't fight the batarians. Then, it was as if another had taken control of me, I couldn't control myself. I killed them all, but I don't know how. My team said that I looked completely different. They said it was like I was covered in dark energy. There is a single video I have of Torfan that I've never looked at."

"Why?"

"I don't want to see the face of the Butcher of Torfan. I take responsibility for that mission, but so long as I haven't seen the face of the person who did it, I can still believe that I'm not the Butcher."

"Jessica, the Butcher isn't who you are."

Jack shook her head, and said, "Why don't we focus on getting one of these fucking omni-tools working?"

"It won't work. They're fried." Jessica said, "We'll have to put a new one together using the tools we have available to us."

"Such as?"

She sadly said, "We'll have to take apart my Harrier. It has a few parts we need in order to construct a make-shift comms device."

"Such as?"

"I won't go into the details, Jack." she replied, and started stripping the weapon apart. Minutes later the Harrier was in all of its component parts. Miranda started helping, and soon it was in the shape of a small box with parts sticking this way and that. Jessica looked around for a moment, before she found the heating coil that the harrier used when incendiary ammo was active on the harrier. She lifted it with her biotics, and started melting super-conductive metal to hold the machine together more solidly and to get it to work properly.

Jessica activated it, and noticed that there was no way for it to get their voices to the Normandy. She swore, and asked, "How much oxygen is left in this thing?"

"A few minutes worth, why?" Miranda asked. Jessica didn't reply, but pulled off her helmet and ripped out the microphone and speaker, before putting it back on and applying the pieces to the radio. Then, she gave a few quick commands and the machine was live. She said, "This is Jessica, repeat this is Jessica. We are stranded in the Kodiac shuttle and require immediate evac. We've only got enough power to keep this running for fifteen minutes. Repeat we are stranded in the kodiac with only enough power to keep this communicator up for fifteen minutes."

-=0=-

EDI said, "We are receiving a distress signal from Shepard. It appears that the Kodiac has been rendered immovable, and they can't get it to move. I have traced the signal to its place of origin, and would suggest investigating immediately."

Joker looked shocked, and said, "She's alive?"

"Yes, and it appears that they are six hundred kilometers away, and drifting away from our current location."

"We're going. Tell Chakwas to get ready for a possible emergency."

"Done."

"Good, hang on Jessica, we're coming to get you." Joker said as he turned the Normandy to the co-ordinates EDI had sent him.

-=0=-

"Normandy come in, this is Jessica, we are quickly running out of power for this, come in Normandy."

"They can't hear us. We're trapped." Jack said.

"No, they can hear us. It is transmitting properly." Miranda said.

"Then why aren't they responding?"

Garrus said, "The receiver on our end isn't working. How much more time do we have before we end up suffocating?"

"We still have three hours." Jessica said.

"Well, then I suppose we'll just have to try and survive until they can get here." Garrus said.

Time passed in complete silence, Jessica and Miranda were cuddling in a corner, Jack was pacing, Garrus was staring out the window, when he saw that the Normandy was heading right for them. He said, "They're headed straight for us!"

Jessica leapt off the ground, and said, "They got the signal. Told you we'd make it, Jack."

"You were right, Shepard. Fuck, I thought we were going to die."

"Not on my watch." Was all Jessica said with a grin, though no one could see it through her helmet.

A minute later, the Normandy's cargo bay door opened, and swallowed the Kodiac shuttle. The team stood back from the door as it was opened with a high heat saw. The ground team got out and took off their breathers. Jessica quietly walked into the brig, where Qael was being held. She said, "You're a skilled fighter, but I need to know something."

"What?"

"How did you know about the reaper artifact on the Alarei before we did?"

"You know how Indoctrination works. I've been experiencing symptoms for weeks. Ever since that artifact was recovered I felt it calling to me, so have Rana and Shialla. When we learned that it was in that it was amongst the Migrant Fleet, I went and gathered up some old geth tech and brought it as a gift for the Fleet. It was going well until that scientist got Indoctrinated. I had hopes that I would be able to get on board the Alarei and destroy the artifact."

"You're indoctrinated."

"In the opening stages, yes. But, there is a bigger problem on the Horizon. While you were on that cruiser, Rana sent me this message." Qael said. He showed it to Shepard, and it went like this.

Qael,

I'm sorry to bother you while you're at the fleet, but we've got a problem. Shialla started acting funny a while ago. She says it's as if the thorian spores in her body have started acting up again. And to make matters worse, her skin suddenly turned green again. I don't know what's going on, but I need your help.

Love, Rana.

Jessica inquired, "Does she have any more details, and where are they?"

"Not yet. And they're on Illium."

"Illium. Shit."

"What?"

"I've got an old friend on Illium who I don't want to get into a mess of trouble."

"What are you going to do with me?"

"You gave me a warning that something strange is happening on Illium, so I'll not suggest that the fleet kills you, but I won't defend you either. We're even."

"Thanks, I suppose that with what I've done I couldn't hope for anything else."

"Yeah. Let's hope Tali's feeling forgiving." Jessica said, as she headed to the lift. When the Normandy docked on the Rayya again. Inside Admiral Gerrel was saying, "We have to attack the geth! There's no way that they will cease their attacks on the quarian people if we do not destroy them!"  
Jessica said, "You are wrong. These were not the geth that have Rannoch, those geth don't want to fight organics. All they want is the right to self-determinate their own path. The same right that is given to every organic species."

"They are machines, not living beings." Xen said.

"They're as alive as anyone in this room."

"Is a microwave alive, Shepard?" Xen asked.

"Can a microwave think?"

"No."

"Then it isn't alive. The geth; however, can think. To think is to be alive. To destroy them would be just as bad as applying the genophage to the krogan."

"The genophage saved the galaxy!"

"According to you, but what do you think is the opinion of the krogan? They see it as a slow genocide of their people. And they're right."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Shepard." Gerrel said.

Jessica shook her head, and said, "Have any of you actually spoken with a geth?"

"No, they aren't capable of it."

"I have spoken with one. It took the name Legion. A gestalt of the geth consensus that was hiding amongst the heretics in order to prevent them from succeeding in their quest to bring back the reapers. The geth are not your enemies!"

"They have tried to destroy the Migrant Fleet just earlier today."

Jessica shook her head, and brought up a video from her new omni-tool. It was of their first talk with Legion on the Normandy. When the video had finished running, she asked, "Did that seem like the geth that you've been fighting?"

The Admirals stared at Legion, and said nothing. Jessica smirked, and said, "If you go to war with the geth, then I'll go to war with you. I have nothing against you defending yourselves, but the geth have the right to detemine their own path. So long as it does not endanger other species."

"You are certain these geth of yours haven't changed their position in the two years since your death?"

"Absolutely. The geth know that the reapers are a threat, and that attacking organics would only make their job easier."

"We will consider your opinion on this matter, but what about Qael'Tharn?"

"I don't care what you do with him. Kill him, keep him exiled, revoke his exile, I don't care." Jessica said as she began to walk away.

Tali said, "Qael should be allowed to leave. He isn't a threat to the Migrant Fleet, but nor is he one of us."

The Admirals nodded and Koris said, "Thank you for the advice, Tali. You may leave now."

-=0=-

When Tali walked into the Normandy, she noticed that the CIC was almost empty. She asked Joker, "What's going on?"

"Jessica's holding a party down in Kasumi's room because we kicked the geth's asses."

"I'll go check it out then. Joker, where are we headed next?"

"Tuchanka. Mordin and Grunt have some trouble and Jessica's going to help them with it."

Tali nodded, and headed down to the party, where she saw that most of the crew were cramped into the room. Jessica was talking with Samara about the Justicars. Mordin and Garrus were discussing various ways weapons could be advanced in the future. Bau was asking Jacob a plethora of questions, and the others were just going through the room talking to various people. Tali looked around her, until she saw that Lia was sitting quietly in a corner. She walked up to the young quarian, and asked, "How are you doing, Lia?"

"Oh, just not used to this much noise."

"You'll get used to it. So, what ship did you choose?"

"I went with the Neema."

"So, we're crewmates even after we return to the fleet. So, why don't we celebrate your completion of your pilgrimage?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Well, there's a little trick Garrus taught me on the SR1." Tali said as she guided Lia to the bar. There, she got a bottle of turian brandy and set about triple-filtering it. When that was done, she got a couple of emergency induction ports and poured two glasses of the brandy. She then showed Lia how to hook up the straw to her suit.

Fifteen minutes later, the two quarians had finished off half the bottle, when Jessica walked up and said, "What are you two doing?"

"Just enjoying some brandy. I'd offer you some, Jessica, but it's dextro-protein."

"I'm sure that you would. So, Lia, did that data get you a good spot on the ship you chose?"

"Yes, almost as good a one as Tali got for the geth data."

"Glad I could help. You quarians have it rough. You spend your life sheltered in the Migrant Fleet, then are sent out into a galaxy that hates quarians almost as much as they do the geth."

"Yeah, but it wasn't all for the worse. I got to serve on the most advanced ship in the galaxy, and make a lot of good friends."

"Good. You kids have fun, and if you need help, don't be afraid to ask. This galaxy needs more people like you two. Ones that are willing to work to accomplish what they think is the right thing, even if it isn't exactly safe." Jessica said as she went over and started talking to Jack.

-=0=-

Miranda stared into space when Jessica wrapped her arms around her and said, "Can you come with me?"

"Why?"

"There's something that I know I need to do, but I can't do it alone. I need you to be there with me."

"Is it about that video?"

"You'll see, Miri." Jessica said, grabbing the other woman's hand in her own. As they headed towards the elevator Jessica shuddered and collapsed to the ground. Miranda tried to help her up, but she wouldn't move.

Miranda said, "EDI! Get Chakwas here now!"

"Doctor Chakwas has already been informed. She is on her way."

"Good. I don't know what's going on."

-=0=-

Jessica's POV.

I was standing in the middle of an empty plane. Cold, dark, alone. There was no one there. Until, a pair of batarians walked into my point of view, and someone I'd never seen before tore them apart with biotics. This person's power sang to me, and I tried to touch it, but when I did she turned on me and attacked. I blocked her attack with my own biotics, but she simply attacked again. There was a feral rage in her eyes, as if she was not fully human.

Hours passed as I blocked her attacks, not finding a point to counter. She was as skilled as I was, and she had the first strike. We danced through the dark plane, my biotics countering the flow of dark energy coming from my foe. Then, I saw something in her features that shocked me. That face was my own, but the eyes themselves were so different that I didn't recognize her. She used my temporary stop as I realized that I was fighting myself to slam me into a wall.

I asked, "Who are you?"

"I am the true you. They may see Jessica Shepard, but we both know that is a lie. But, I suppose you need a name to call me. I suppose you could call me the Butcher."

"You're the one that did it. The one that killed those prisoners on Torfan."

"No, I did not. _We _did. You and I are one and the same."

"I'm nothing like you."

The Butcher laughed, and said, "You may not accept it yet, but it was your inner anger, the savagery you tried to contain that gave birth to me. So, while you may show the outside world a paragon of justice, we both see the true you."

"I am not like you. We are not the same."

"Deny it all you want, the truth is unavoidable." The Butcher growled, as she approached me.

"Get away from me!"

"You can see my power, and you hate it. But you also want it. The ability to wield dark energy without having biotics. The true power of dark energy. The power of creation and destruction. The power to use dark energy in ways that these fools think impossible."

"You're insane!"

The Butcher laughed, and said, "Yes, but so are you. Now, you are mine. There is nothing you can do about it. I wonder what Miranda will think when she feels my power close around her, as she slowly dies in agony."

That was when I lost it. I leapt to my feet, created two biotic swords, and attacked the Butcher.

-=0=-

Miranda was sitting by Jessica in the med-bay while the red-head thrashed around in her dreams. Then, she shouted, "I won't let you touch Miri!"

Chakwas said, "I don't know what to say, she's not conscious, but her brain is working at a pace that isn't normal. I can't help her."

Miranda nodded, and tried to hold Jessica down, but her hand was slapped away. She shook her head, and simply sat there.

-=0=-

My attacks had no effect on the Butcher. She simply deflected them with a wave of her hand and blades of biotic energy. I couldn't get the upper hand, and I didn't know why. When I was sent flying back, I couldn't move. It was as if my legs were broken. I looked at it, and knew that anyone near me was in danger of it taking control of me and killing them. So, I said, "If I can't beat you, then I at least won't release you. So long as I'm in this place, so are you."

"How long do you think that you can evade me?"

"For eternity." I said standing up with great difficulty.

The Butcher laughed, a twisted sound that shouldn't have come from the mouth of anything. I turned and fled. If I stayed here, Miri was safe. Then, the Butcher grabbed me with her biotics. I couldn't move, but I knew I had to avoid losing to it. I couldn't move, but I had to. I reached out for anything, I had to resist. Then, it was as if there was a light I hadn't seen before. I grasped at it, and power filled me. I turned to the Butcher, and said, "So this is your secret power. What is it?"

"The power of dark energy in its purest form. Eezo produces tainted dark energy, while this, is the original. There is no way that you could possibly wield it against me though."

"Try and stop me." I said as I drew in more of the power of dark energy. I knew that I could take the Butcher. I took the flow of dark energy, and created a suit of armor and a pair of blades for myself. The Butcher followed my suit, and we paced around each other.

Minutes passed, before the Butcher charged. I dodged, flung a wall of ice into her, and as the crystals pierced her skin, I charged. She turned around and a beam of pure dark energy flew from her. I leapt over it, slid across the ground as if it were ice, then stabbed a blade through the monster within me. She simply laughed and sent me flying into a nearby tree. I looked at her, and knew that this realm was of her creation. I asked, "Why didn't you want me to see that video?"

"You don't understand that? I thought it was clear. That video is the proof that I don't have control of you. You are free for the moment, but I will get you to bend to my will sooner or later."

"No you won't." I said as I attacked again. She blocked the strikes from my blades and tried to send me flying, but I stood my ground. Then, it was as if a hurricane had come into existence from nothing. The Butcher was wielding more power than I thought was possible. The land bent from the force, and I had to fight just to remain standing.

Yet she calmly walked up to me, and raised her blades. She smirked, and said, "I'm going to enjoy gutting her. Then you will be nothing more than a worm."

Then, my eyes began to glow red as I felt the rage well within my once more. As her blades fell towards my head, I grasped at the power again. More of it filled my than before, and I created a tunnel in the dimension beneath my feet. I didn't know how I did it, but my instincts had kept my alive before. As I fell through the tunnel, I felt winds as fast as those in the upper atmosphere. When I looked around me, I saw that I was free falling towards the Butcher. I focused the power within me, the flames engulfed me, and as the wind roared in my ears, I saw the shock in my foe's eyes. I would never let her hurt Miri.

When, I reached terminal velocity, but it wasn't fast enough, so I pushed myself forward with more speed. When I connected with the savage within me, it created a massive crater where she had been standing.

However; she still drew breath, and said, "You will never be free of me. For as long as you live, so shall I! You may think you have won our battle, but I will be victorious in the end!"

I looked at her, exhausted. Using that much dark energy at once had worn me out. The Butcher cackled, as she slowly fell into the depths of my mind once more. Where she would recover from our battle. I knew that she would return and try to take control again. And I knew what I had to do. When the landscape of my mind faded away, and the real world was before me again. When I saw Miri's face, I smiled at her, and walked away.

-=0=-

Miranda looked at Jessica walk away, and knew that there wass something different about her love. There was no way that Jessica would act that way. So, Miranda walked out of the room and entered the elevator. Inside the loft, Jessica said, "Miranda, I need some time alone."

"Why?"

"I was just through a lot. I need time to process it."

"Alright, I'll come back in an hour." Miranda said as she left the room.

Once Miranda was gone, Jessica thought to herself, "_I have to do this. It's the only way she'll ever be safe from the Butcher. If I don't do it, she'll die by that thing's hand. By my hand. I can't let that happen."_

-=0=-

Tali drunkenly said, "You know, Lia, I like you."

The young quarian mechanic replied, "I like you too, Tali."

"I like you a lot. In the way Jessica likes Miranda."

Lia looked surprised, and said, "Really? You do?"

"Yeah, but I understand that you don't like other girls that way."

"What are you talking about? I just thought you didn't like me that way, Tali. But, since you do," Lia switched to a whisper and said, "I wouldn't mind linking suits with you."

"Really? I'd like to link suits with you."

"If you want, we can now." Lia said, in a sultry tone.

"Yeah. But, let's go to the clean room first." Tali said, guiding Lia by the hand to the clean room quarters.

-=0=-

In the loft Jessica was staring at the stars when Miranda walked in again. Jessica turned towards the other woman, and just took in her beauty. Three minutes they stood their in silence, until Miranda walked over to Jessica and kissed her. Jessica kissed her back, and when her lover grabbed her ass, let out a quiet moan. When Miranda pushed her against the bed she said, "I can't do this. I'm so sorry about this, Miri. But, it's the right thing to do. I love you, Miranda. If I had my way, we'd spend our lives together. But in life you don't always get what you want. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"What are you talking about, Jessica?"

"I know this isn't what we thought would happen, but there isn't a way out of this. I love you, but we have to break up."

-=0=-

**A\N: This chapter was a ton of fun to write until the end. Sorry to end it like that, but it just kinda happened. And I won't be able to do any more writing for a while. So, until then, thanks for reading and please drop a review.**


	48. Chapter 47: The Chosen of Weyrloc

"We have to break up." those words brought about a silence that seemed to last for hours. Miranda stood completely still, shock clear in her eyes. Then, she asked, "Why?"

"I can't risk your life, Miri. There are some things that I have to learn if it's going to be safe for anyone to get close to me."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's what I encountered when I passed out. There's nothing that I can do about it right now because I don't have any information on it. I'll have to do some research on it."

"What would make this necessary?" Miranda inquired, tears in her eyes.

"I lost control on Torfan, and what took over threatened to kill you. I can't risk your life."

"You have to be kidding me. You can't honestly think that you could kill me."

"_I_ couldn't, the Butcher can."

"You're breaking up with me because you had a nightmare about the Butcher of Torfan?"

"It was not a nightmare, it was real. It wants to kill you, and I can't risk it."

"Jessica, I'll be fine. You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do! What if you're wrong, and the Butcher is more than a hallucination? What if it manages to take control of me? I can't risk it, because if you die, then the person I am will follow you into the void. I love you too much to risk your life."

"Jessica, please. I'll be fine."

"Not if the Butcher takes control. I won't risk it. Now please, go. This is hard enough already."

"I'm not going to leave. I won't lose you to your fears."

Jessica's eyes began to glow red, and she growled, "Miri, leave now. This is for your own good."

"I'd rather die than lose you, Jessica. I don't care if I die."

"Well I do. Go."

"No."

"I gave you a direct order. Do you have a habit of disobeying your CO in her quarters?"

Miranda shook her head, and said, "Fine, I'll go. But, Jessica, you're making a mistake."

Once Miranda left, Jessica said, "Maybe, but leaving you in danger would be a bigger mistake."

EDI popped up, and said, "Your assumption that the Butcher could assume control over you is erroneous."

"Shut up, EDI." Jessica replied as she collapsed into her bed.

-=0=-

When Miranda walked into the bridge crying, and sat down in the co-pilot's seat, Joker asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to look out the windows."

"You're crying, Miranda. And they don't look like tears of joy."

"Joker, shut up."

"Just saying. Something happened and you're upset. Just trying to be a good friend.'

"Right, you're probably just trying to get into my pants."

"Nope. I tend to avoid women who have a girlfriend who fights reapers, geth, and krogan on a regular basis."

Miranda said, "Right. I doubt Jessica would even care if you did try."

"What makes you say that? She would sooner put a round in her head than hurt you." Joker switched to a whisper, and said, "She said that herself back in the Academy when we first met."

"How did you meet her?"

-=0=-

Joker's first day in the Alliance Academy.

He was sitting in his wheelchair, looking at the enormous place before him. There were dozens of flight classes going on, but he didn't get to watch the vessels for long, because a girl with long red hair walked up and asked, "Who brought you here, kid?"

Joker asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"First answer my question."

"I was brought here on the last shuttle to arrive."

"They don't usually take cripples into the Alliance. Why'd they take you in?"

"They didn't at first. It took five tries to get into flight school. Who are you?"

"Jessica Shepard."

"Wait, Shepard? You related to _the_ John Shepard?"

"He was my dad."

"Was? What happened to him?"

"Look up Mindoir." she replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That must have been traumatic."

"You have no idea."

"I'll just be going. Don't want to be late for my first class." Joker said, trying to get away from the girl.

"I'll guide you to it. What is it?"

"Something with Professor Sanders."

"Ok. I know the spot. Follow me."

"Alright, thanks."

"No problem. So, what happened to you that put you in that chair?"

"I've got Vrolik's Syndrome."

"You're lucky to be alive. It run in your family?"

"No."

Jessica nodded, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Jeff Moreau."

"Ok. Well here we are. Tell Kahlee hi for me, Jeff."

"Uh, ok."

Three days later.

Joker had three of the larger guys at the Academy threatening to beat him into a pulp if he didn't do what they said, when Jessica walked up and said, "Go, now. I don't want to have to beat the shit out of you."

"Who do you think you are, girl?"

"The woman who's going to kick your asses."

"Such harsh words from such a pretty woman. How about we have a go in my room, instead of fighting."

"I'm not interested."

"Oh, why?"

"Doesn't matter." Jessica said as she kicked the first guy in the nuts. He crumpled to the ground and she ran and jumped onto his back, and from there she landed on the second thug and broke his arm. The third guy glared at her, and said, "You're going to pay for that, you fucking bitch!"

Jessica simply fired an incinerate into him, and as he fell to the ground, she said,"You think I'm a bitch? I'm not the one that picks on someone with brittle bones and then runs like a whipped dog when someone stands up to me."

The guy groaned and ran away, followed by his friends. Joker said, "Thanks, I thought I was going to get my ass kicked."

"No problem. I hate those fucking bastards. They think that just because they're rich they can do whatever the fuck they want."

Joker laughed, and said, "Anyways, thanks. I owe you."

"No you don't. I've wanted to do that to them for weeks. You gave me an opportunity."

"You saved my life, I think that means I owe you."

"They wouldn't have killed you, they don't have the stomach to kill."

"Right. And you did look like you enjoyed it."

"I did. The rich think they're special, and that they can do whatever they want."

"You sound like you have a lot of experience with them."

"I was hired by one to spy on his daughter."

"That's messed up."

"Yeah. Let me know if they give you any more trouble."

Joker nodded, and moved his chair to his next class.

After that, they talked a lot, and while at first both of them kept a lot secret, they eventually shared everything. Jessica told him about Miranda, her time in the Reds, fighting Kai Leng, and how every year on the anniversary of Miranda's death she carved a small figurine of the woman.

Joker shared how he and his dad were estranged due to the fact that he had joined the Alliance, how his mom was long dead, and that his little sister was the only person he had ever really gotten along with. On graduation day, both received the highest scores in all of their classes, and were assigned to the same ship. A short time later, there was Torfan, and Jessica was different. Darker, more isolated. Joker found her staring into the stars, no sign of life. She said, "What would you think if I told you that I don't think the protheans built the mass relays?"

"I'd say that your brain was addled on Torfan."

"Maybe, but I can't shake the feeling that something else made them."

"It'll pass. Probably just because of what today is."

"Maybe. Maybe I'm just hoping that there is someone out there who knows what's going on." she said.

-=0=-

Jessica sat alone in the loft, when Kelly walked in. The Commander said, "Chambers, what is it?"

"I think you're experiencing symptoms of PTSD, I thought maybe I could help."

"I'm fine."

"You dump Miranda because of a dream, you aren't fine."

"It wasn't a dream, or a flashback. Now go. I don't have time to deal with this."

"Shepard, you aren't acting like yourself. Maybe you just need to relax. You won't hurt anyone on the Normandy."

Jessica shouted, "Leave!"

Kelly took a deep breath, and said, "Alright, but if you ever need to talk, I'm available most of the time."

When she was once again alone, the Commander stared into space, and said, "You may be there, and you may think that you have some amount of control, but you won't win, Butcher. I won't lose to you. I'll find a way to kill you."

She heard the monster's voice say, "No you won't. You were only able to beat me because you wouldn't let her get hurt. Do you really think pushing her away will keep her safe from me."

"No, but I know that if she does die to you, I tried to protect her. Now go away, Butcher."

"You can't send me away like your lover or the psychiatrist. I am you, so the only way to get rid of me is to kill me."

"I don't believe you, Butcher."

"Do you really think that I can be removed, hidden away? Sealed?"

"Yes, I just don't know how yet." Jessica replied, staring at the stars.

There was a few moments of silence, but was broken by the Butcher saying, "You don't understand, Shepard. You think that I can be controlled, but you are wrong. I wonder what I'll do when I finally gain control of you. Perhaps I will force Miranda to bow before me as a slave. Use her, then slowly end her life. What do you think, Commander?"

"I think that if you try to do anything to her I'll fly a shuttle into a star with both of us in it."

"You wouldn't. You don't want to die again. You want to survive, like all worms do."

"Go away. I don't have time for you."

"Very well, but remember, I will always be here in the shadows, pushing you to give in to me."

"But you won't succeed." Shepard said, as she lay down and sleep took her in its cold embrace.

-=0=-

She was alone in a dark forest. The trees as black as night, Cynthia then stepped forward, and asked, "Why, Jessica?" before vanishing in a few dark lines.

As Jessica walked through the forest, she saw Sovereign fly down to ground and said with Harbinger's voice, "You will feel pain, Shepard."

Then, a Collector approached, and said, "This hurts you." before firing a ball of energy at her, but it faded away before direct contact. Then, she saw Kaidan walk up, and say, "This isn't real. Relax."

"Alenko, what are you?"

"A dream, just like this place itself."

"Why are you talking to me now?"

"I'm not real. Just a manifestation of your guilt. You feel responsible for my death, so I came into being. This place is my home, deep within you. There are others as well." Kaidan said, as Cynthia, Sarah, John, and Miranda walked up.

John said, "Jessica, you've done well. You'll be able to get through this. You'll find a way to stop the Butcher."

Cynthia asked, "Why didn't you save us, Jessica?"

Miranda's shade said, "Shut up, Cynthia."

"Yeah," Sarah said, "Jessica doesn't need that. She needs to learn more about the Butcher."

"Do you know anything about it?"

"We know a little, but we can't talk here. It might come and attack us. We've lived here in fear for so long that it has grown even stronger. You have to find a way to destroy it. We don't know how, but we do know what the Butcher is." Sarah said.

"Dad, can you tell me anything?"

"The Butcher is powerful, and just as skilled as you are. You have to find a way to get an advantage over it on the fly."

"About its nature?"

"If we talk about that, it'll be summoned." John replied, before being sent away by a gust of wind from the Butcher's palm. The creature said, "Leave. This place is mine."

"Let them come back."

"No, they were not to approach you, just to weaken you. They did not do as they were told, so they will fade away."

"What is wrong with you? Why are you like this?"

"You should know. After all, you created me."

"I didn't create you, Butcher. Bring them back!"

"They were nothing more than dreams. Forms given to facets of your personality."

Jessica was about to reply, when she was woken up by EDI's voice saying, "Commander, we have arrived on Tuchanka."

"Got it. Tell Mordin and Grunt to meet me in the shuttle bay."

"Done. Logging you out."

When Jessica entered the second floor armory, she was punched by Jacob. She rubbed her face and asked, "What the hell was that for?"

"What you did to Miranda."

"Why do you care?"

"I owe Miranda my life. I'd been kicked out of the Alliance for being a troublemaker when she recruited me to Cerberus. I was on death row for what I'd done in the name of the Alliance."

"So, you punch your CO. That isn't a very good career choice, Taylor."

"You needed it."

"You haven't changed anything. And how does the crew know about what happened?"

"It was obvious. You did the one thing that would cause Miranda to break down. You say you love her, but you do the only thing that could really hurt her. You disgust me, Shepard."

"It was for her own good."

"You can't honestly think that."

"If you knew what I knew. You'd agree." Shepard said as she geared up.

"What makes you think that she isn't worth the risk?"

"I know Miranda is worth a lot, but I won't put her life in danger."

"Then why take her on missions?"

"I knew I could keep her safe from the enemy on the ground."

"Do you really think that you could put her in danger by being near you?"

"I know that being near me isn't safe for her, Taylor."

"How can you be sure?"

"I don't have time for this." Jessica said as she was about to leave the room, but Ashley blocked the path to one room, and Jacob blocked the door to the other.

Ashley said, "I may not have liked Miranda at first, but she doesn't deserve to be broken down like that."

"It was that or put her in danger."

"You put her into danger on a daily basis."

"You don't think I know that? I may have put her into danger on the battlefield, but she's a skilled soldier who can handle herself."

"What would be more dangerous than the battlefield?" Jacob asked.

Jessica took a deep breath, and said, "I'll show you." Her eyes turned red, and she slammed Jacob through the door. He grunted, and Ashley tried to detain Shepard, but was slammed into the other door. They groaned, but didn't get up. Shepard's eyes returned to their original sapphire blue. She said, "I might lose control of myself and do to her far worse than I just did to you."

"What would you lose control of yourself to?"

"That's a secret, Jacob." Jessica replied as she entered the elevator flanked by Mordin and Grunt. When they entered the shuttle, Mordin said, "Experiencing symptoms of PTSD. Seeing things that are not real, causing you to push those closest to you away. Would suggest speaking with yeoman Chambers."

"No, Mordin. EDI, tell Javik to get down here. I need someone who won't get on my case that isn't in danger of going into a bloodrage."

"Done. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Logging you out."

-=0=-

Miranda sat quietly in her quarters. She still couldn't believe that Jessica had dumped her. She felt lost without the Commander. The one person she loved had left her alone. The Normandy wasn't home without Jessica. It was just another ship. Even the room where she had only worked felt completely different. She tried to focus on the paperwork, but the only words that she typed where _what happened to her?_

Miranda didn't understand why, but she couldn't think of life without Jessica. The other woman had said that she didn't want to end it but felt that it was necessary to keep her safe. Miranda shook her head and asked EDI, "Is there still a shuttle in the cargo bay?"

"Yes, but I would suggest that you do not land on Tuchanka."

"This does not concern you, EDI." Miranda said, assuming the role of the Ice Queen that many had thought she was. She shook her head as she entered the remaining shuttle. She flew it down to Tuchanka armed with a predator pistol and a shuriken smg because they didn't remind her of Jessica. As she exited it, she thought that maybe she could forget about Jessica on the homeworld of the savage krogan. She was walking quietly through the ruins of the once mighty krogan people. She observed the history of the krogan people and saw something that was amazing. There was a series of plants that were native to the harsh planet, plants that were thought to have been eradicated from the galaxy thousands of years ago. She stared at it, and she wished that Jessica were there to share the view with her. Her awe was swiftly washed away by sorrow as she thought of the Savior of the Citadel.

The view was astonishing, but felt empty to Miranda. It was as she stared at the buildings of the krogan people, and saw the prestine Shroud built by the salarians that a female krogan approached her and said, "What is it that pains you, child of earth?"

Miranda pulled out her phalanx and asked, "Who are you?"

"There is no need to use that weapon. I have sworn to slay no sapient being. Such is the way of the shamans of the female clans."

"Why are you asking me questions?"

"I have come here to view the homes of my ancestors before I meet my end."

"What's wrong with you?"

"That is not important. You are the one with afflictions that not even death can heal. If you hold onto them you will not be able to pass into the void and your spirit will forever haunt and torment the people of the galaxy."

Miranda said, "It isn't something I want to talk about."

"I understand. Often it happens to those who have lost something dear to them. Was it death that took your love, or another woman?"

"Neither. Just a dream that she had. She thinks that she'll lose control of herself and kill me."

"Was it a dream of a monster? One that calls it itself the Butcher?"

"Yes, how did you know that?"

"I can pass on my knowledge to you, perhaps it will bring you peace." The female krogan said, but she started coughing.

"What's happening to you?"

"A side effect of the cure the scientist created. My immune system is weakened, I am very sick."

"Shit. Are there others, or are you the only one?"

"I will not betray the location of my sisters to you so you can kill them."

"That isn't what I would do. I work on a ship with a large amount of state of the art equipment. Including highly advanced medical equipment. We may be able to help you."

The krogan coughed, and said, "Very well. They are behind the structures over there. Looking upon the great ring built to honor Kalros. They will come with us."

"Good. We probably don't have much time."

-=0=-

Meanwhile.

Jessica exited her shuttle, and was greeted by a krogan saying, "Go speak to the clan leader, human."

"Sure. How's Wrex doing?" she asked, thinking back to the poorly worded message she'd received from the krogan explaining his current situation.

The krogan didn't show surprise, but when Grunt exited he said, "Keep your pet on a tight leash."

Jessica shook her head and moved through the tunnel to the primary area which included a varren fighting ring, a shop, and Wrex's throne. She walked up to where the old krogan sat, and said, "How are you doing, friend?"

"Not too well, Wrex."

"What happened, you look as if your pet varren died."

"Just had a rough last twenty hours."

"What did you get yourself into?"

"I had to do something I didn't want. Something that if it were at all possible I would not have done."

Wrex looked at Jessica for a moment then said, "You left Miranda. Not the kind of thing I expected from you."

"It had to be done. But, that's not why I'm here. My companions need some help that can only be found here on Tuchanka."

"What is it, Shepard?"

"This krogan here is feeling angry in a different way than usual. My salarian friend here is looking for a student of his."

"Does this salarian student of yours go by the name Maelon?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He's in the home of clan Weyrloc, but there's something I need you to do for me before you go there."

"What?"

"There has been a small uprising from some of the other clans, led by a group of krogan calling themselves the Chosen. They number thirteen Weyrloc krogan, and their leader is Weyrloc Guld, who has fathered three children. The others have two. They say that their multiple heirs proves they have been chosen by the spirits of the void to rebuild the krogan people. I would appreciate it if you could kill them all. It wouldn't even be out of the way for you to help your salarian."

"We'll do it. Where are they?"

"They're all in a battlefield in the direction of the Weyrloc home. It won't be easy to miss, but I'll have a scout guide you to it."

"Thanks, Wrex, I appreciate it."

"You're helping me, Shepard. You also might want to talk to our weapons vendor, he has a few crazy inventions in there."

"Got it. We'll get going." Jessica replied.

-=0=-

Miranda entered the shuttle and returned to the Normandy with the six ill krogan women in the passenger bay. As she exited, she said, "EDI, get Chakwas to prepare the med bay for six ill krogan females."

"Done."

"Good." Miranda said as she had the krogan file into the elevator, but there wasn't room left for her, so she said, "Push the button to deck three."  
The first female, who refused to give her name, said, "Thank you, Ms. Lawson."

"It isn't a problem."

-=0=-

As the tomka bounced around, Jessica asked Javik, "What was Tuchanka like during your cycle?"

"It was a place with much natural beauty, many forests and majestic mountains. The krogan didn't need the reapers to destroy their world."  
Grunt did not reply, but soon the tomka stopped, and the team exited the vehicle. They saw a few teams of krogan fighting each other, trying to break through. At the back of the teams wearing clan Weyrloc's were three krogan using biotics to hold off the attacking Urdnot krogan. Jessica looked around and asked their driver, "Are those guys in the back the Chosen?"

"Yeah. They're really powerful biotics. You'll have to be careful when you fight them."

"They're weak. They are barely capable of channeling dark energy. This will be over soon." Jessica replied, as she took in dark energy from the air around her. She charged into one of the Chosen with enough force to send it flying into a wall three hundred meters away. Javik followed with another biotic charge and the second chosen laughed at the prothean's attack and tried to headbutt him. The prothean rolled out of the krogan's way and hit it with a Dark Channel. Jessica followed it up with a heavy warp before she wrapped dark energy around herself and pounced on the third Chosen. The dark energy then flowed from her into the krogan. He looked confused, but when Jessica leaped from him, the dark energy expanded at a rapid rate, blowing the krogan apart from the inside out. She then turned to the last one, and fired a round from her carnifex. The round flew through the massive krogan, and he collapsed to the ground, life having already left him.

"That's three of them. Ten left."

Grunt said, "They're weak. Hopefully the others will be stronger."

"Be careful what you wish for." Jessica replied as they moved through the wastelands of Tuchanka. There was nothing there for what seemed like miles, but they then encountered five of the Weyrloc Chosen. They charged, but where destroyed by Shepard's Cain. One of them managed to avoid being injured by the attack by raising a barrier. It looked different from the others, managing to fling Shepard into a wall with dark energy. Shepard groaned while it took down her shields and slammed her against a wall. She tried to get up, but the krogan had pinned her to the wall. She groaned, and felt the power of dark energy within the krogan. She tried to push him back with dark energy, but it didn't work.

The Butcher said, "Leave this to me."

"No, I can handle it."

"You fool. You were only able to beat me because you got the element of surprise. Do you really think that you are able to beat a krogan with power equal to mine?"

"Yeah." She replied, making a biotic blade and slashed the krogan in his midrift. The krogan stumbled backwards and Jessica wrapped it in a ring of fire and lopped off an arm. The krogan grabbed Jessica with his remaining arm, and said, "I'm going to tear you and everyone you know apart with my bare hand."

"No you won't." She replied as Javik and Mordin fired on the krogan. It collapsed, and she said, "Thanks. Didn't think that one would be so strong."

"Strange, krogan seems to have largely avoided effects of the genophage." said Mordin.

Javik replied, "This one was different. It didn't react the same way that the other krogan did."

Jessica shook it off, and said, "It doesn't matter. He's dead now."

"You know more than you are letting on." Javik said, "What do you know about this?"

"That's classified Alliance information. If you want the answers, you'll have to get the Alliance to tell you."

"That would probably be easy to get. The species of this cycle practically worship protheans."

"It isn't important. We still have five of these Chosen to kill. It'll be likely that Guld won't have any of the other Chosen near him. From what I've been able to gather he doesn't trust them."

"What makes you say that?" Javik asked.

"The way they're near each other is as if he's having them watch each other. He doesn't trust them."

"You're quick to assume that."

"It's simple. They're said to be chosen, but they aren't given the chance to operate without having others watch over them. He doesn't trust them to not betray him if they are left unchecked."

Javik nodded, and the team continued to walk through the wasteland. It had a certain beauty that many planets lacked. Particularly those the asari had colonized. It all felt fake, forced, as if it was a way to hide the corruption in the lower levels. The natural beauty took Jessica's breath away as she stared at it. Then, she continued to move through the place that had once been a verdant garden world. Several miles later, there were two more of the Chosen.

The first one said, "So you are the one who killed seven of the others. I wonder what makes you defy the Chosen?"

"You managed to piss off a friend of mine. Those who piss off my friends usually don't live very long after that." Jessica replied.

"Who are you, human?"

"Commander Shepard."

"So the great Commander Shepard has come to Tuchanka. What brings you here?"

"A few friends of mine needed help. You're in the way of one them. So, you'll have to die."

-=0=-

Miranda walked into the medical bay and asked, "How are they?"

"They've got a drastically weakened immune system. They're lucky to be alive." Chakwas said.

"I see. Do you think we can help them?"

"Yes, but it'll take some time. I think that Professor Solus will be able to help with them."

"You're probably right, but they don't have much time. What can we do for them?"

"Their immune system is still incredibly weak, but there's nothing that we can do for them. I'm considering putting the medbay into cleanroom function."

"That would take a lot of resources. Are you sure it would have a significant effect on the condition of the krogan?"

"If we don't they'll probably die in a few days time."

"Then do it. We don't want to risk their lives."

"Alright, it will take a while, and a large amount of resources. You may want to go work on something else during the process."

"I can't focus on other work. So, what do you need me to do?"

"The process is entirely automated, but it might want to talk to the krogan. They seem to trust you."

Miranda nodded, and walked over to the first krogan she'd encountered and asked, "How are you doing?"

"We are doing better, but we're so ill. I doubt that your doctor can save us."

"She's one of the best in the galaxy. If anyone can save you, it's her."

"You have much confidence in her. What do you expect to happen to us?"

"I think you'll live. There aren't many places in the galaxy that give better medical care than here."

"You have great confidence in her. What did she do to earn such confidence from you?"

"She helped me quite a bit when I needed medical information for a project I was working on. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here today."

"What was it she did? Save you, or save the one who hurt you?"

"She made it possible for me to save Jessica."

"I take it that this Jessica is the one who has injured your heart so. When did she first experience the touch of the Butcher?"

"Torfan."

"The Butcher of Torfan. Commander Shepard. Strange that she would give birth to one of them."

"What do you know about the Butcher?"

"It is an ancient myth amongst the krogan people. They spoke of monsters created by those that they possessed. That it gave them supernatural strength. It was through great amounts of study that we were able to learn some more about them. They were not truly alive, merely things birthed by the darkest, most deviant depths of the organic mind. Their control over dark energy was not explained until we found reaper technology on Tuchanka."  
"You found reaper tech on Tuchanka?"

"Yes, and it indoctrinated many. But, there were a few who were resistant to it. Instead of being turned into a slave of the reapers, they gave birth to a Butcher."

Miranda's voice was filled with shock as she said, "The Butcher is a result of reaper indoctrination?"

"Yes. There are those the reapers cannot actually control, those who have experienced great loss in their past."

"So, Jessica's beyond the control of the reapers, but this thing within her is trying to control her."

"Yes. The Commander is incredibly strong to have resisted the pull of a Butcher. They are old, the creations of the reapers, but while they bear great knowledge they are as dangerous as the reapers."

"Did your people ever learn how to destroy them?"

"No, we feared them so much that we tried to destroy the reaper technology. Once it was gone, we began to advance in other paths. Those with the taint of Butchers were eradicated."

"Do you know anything about them that you haven't already told me?"

"No, our knowledge of them never advanced beyond what I have shared with you, and this knowledge is a closely guarded secret. The shamans of the krogan people are the only ones who have known of this for many years."

"Thank you. What can I call you?"

"I gave up my name when I became a shaman, but you may call me Shaman." the female krogan said, but then a scream filled the room as another krogan fell to the ground and began writhing in agony. Miranda ran up to her flanked by the Shaman. As the young female was moving violently on the ground as pain ran through her body. Then, she stopped moving, the life in her eyes gone. The Shaman closed her eyes, and said, "She was the second youngest of us. A strong krogan, and a good person. It is not right that she had to die in such a way."

"I'm sorry. This must be very painful for you."

"Yes, but do not worry, we will not be broken by this."

Miranda nodded, and returned the shuttle bay. She grabbed her gear, and entered the vehicle, but there were Zaeed and Garrus in it.

The scarred mercenary said, "You aren't going down there now, Ms. Lawson."

"Do you think you can stop me, Massani?"

"I've taken out quite a few of powerful biotics, but you'd provide an interesting challenge."

"Why are you even here?"

"After your previous joyride with this shuttle ended with us getting a medbay full of female krogan I thought it would be best to not let you go and get another shuttle load."

Miranda nodded, and said, "What about you, Garrus?"

"I know what happened between you and Shepard. And to be honest, she doesn't need to have that in the front of her mind. You two need to stay away from each other." Garrus replied calmly.

"What happened between us doesn't matter, Garrus."

"It happened mere hours ago. You haven't accepted it, so you're going to try and get back together with her."

Miranda said, "That's how we humans are. Now please, let me take the shuttle Garrus."

"IT isn't for the best, Miranda. This isn't the best time for you to talk to Shepard."

"This is important."

"It may be important. But, you shouldn't talk to Shepard."

Zaeed added, "And what good could you talking with Shepard do? She's not exactly happy with what happened either. IT'll just be rubbing salt in an open wound."

Miranda looked at the mercenary, and he seemed serious. She said, "Maybe, but I _have _to talk to Jessica."

"Now isn't the time to go talk to your ex." Zaeed said, pulling out an assault riffle, "And there is no way I'm going to let you do it."

"I don't care if I get shot. So long as I get to talk to her."

Zaeed aimed the rifle, but Garrus said, "Put the rifle down. Do that, and you'll have signed your death warrant."

"I said I'm not letting her go, I meant it."

"Miranda isn't going to go there, but I know that Shepard would do a hell of a lot worse to you than she did to the batarians on Torfan."

Zaeed was quite for a moment, then nodded. He said, "But I don't want to have Shepard flip out over Miranda showing up in the middle of a battlefield when she is wanted. The Commander is one scary bitch."

Miranda slapped the merc, and tried to go to the front of the shuttle, but Garrus blocked her path and said, "This isnot the time, Miranda. Let it rest for a few days. Talk to her when we go to Illium."

The woman looked the turian in the eye, and saw that it wasn't him trying to keep her away from Jessica, but just trying to make so that she didn't screw things up so that her relationship with the Commander didn't recover. Garrus said, "You don't know what Shepard was like before she found you in that alley. Joker said that she'd started falling apart. And it was because she had seen a picture of you two as kids that she'd forgotten about. She was literally falling apart mentally because of a picture of you-at least according to Joker. She'll change her mind soon enough. Because, as much as she may deny it, she needs you."

Miranda nodded, and said, "Thanks, Garrus."

-=0=-

**A\N: So here it is. My first chapter in over a week. I do apologize for the long wait, but I didn't have a chance to write for a while. Didn't even really have internet access. But, now Meus Mundus is back on track. Anyways, thank you for reading, and please review. (Seriously, that would be awesome.) And lastly Merry Christmas from me to you.**


	49. Chapter 48: The Fall of Weyrloc

Jessica walked out of the building, and saw that there were a group of three krogan, but only one had the markings of a Chosen. She pulled out her Widow sniper, and put a round through that one's skull. As it fell to the ground, the other two krogan opened fire on the ground team, but were almost immediately put down like animals. Then, they saw a door. They had finally arrived at the Weyrloc base.

"Weyrloc base. Will be difficult to reach Maelon. Hopefully krogan will not expect us to have survived." Mordin said.

"You salarians are all weak. Afraid to actually fight."

"Do not wish to endanger ground team. Krogan powerful warriors, do not want to lose potential allies for when reapers arrive. Also, do not want to risk loss of current allies."

Jessica said, "We need to get moving. We don't know what's going on here, so we need to get moving."

"You're certain that we'll even find this salarian here?" Grunt asked.

"Wrex's info is good."

"I don't trust him."

Jessica shook her head, and began bypassing the door. A few minutes later, she said, "Done, but I don't like this. That was too well protected to be done by krogan."

Mordin said, "Perhaps they forced Maelon to improve their security."

"No, if he was forced, he wouldn't have made it that much better. I'm not sure that things are what we thought."

"Hm. Possible, but doubtful. Entire team agreed that genophage modification was necessary."

"If you say so." Jessica said, as she slowly walked through the building until she saw a human corpse with so many cuts and injection points that it was impossible to tell even what gender it had been originally.

Mordin squatted to examine it. A few moments later he said, "Human. Male. Body mutilated in rough tissue sample recovery. Multiple injection sites. High level testing of genophage cure. Testing thorough. Good job. Don't like to see that."

"This is sick." Jessica said, walking forward into the base.

Javik said, "This is... surprising. I had thought there would be less of this since the reapers had not yet arrived."

"Brutality common. Reapers not cause of this." Mordin said as he followed Jessica into the structure. She was listening to a krogan say, "When the salarian cures the genophage, clan Weyrloc shall spread through the stars! None will be able to resist our Blood Pack as it spreads across the stars numbering in the millions!"

"You talk to much." Jessica said as she fired a single round from the Mattock she had replaced her Harrier with until they were able to get what was needed to rebuild it. The round hit the fuel line below the krogan, and made a leak.

He laughed, and said, "The human cannot hit a target when it isn't moving."

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings, Chosen." Jessica said as she shot the pipe again. The volatile fuel violently exploded, almost lighting the Chosen on fire. However; it split to the sides of the krogan just before it connected. The other two krogan were ignited by the fuel, and the Chosen leapt down to where Jessica was. It tried to headbutt her, but she ducked and kicked it in the gut. The krogan stumbled backwards from the force of the kick before it countered with an incredibly powerful biotic onslaught. The Commander was sent flying back, but was able to land on her feet. She was about to attack when another storm of dark energy connected with her. Or it would have had a shield of the same energy appeared in front of her. She then leapt fifteen feet into the air and a blade of dark energy appeared in her hand. She slashed the arm of the krogan before landing behind it and stabbing it in the first heart. The krogan roared, and went into a blood rage. It charged Jessica, but was shot in the head by Javik and Mordin. It crumpled to the ground, and she said, "Thanks, we need to get moving through here."

"Yes. Need to find out what happened to Maelon."

-=0=-

Tali walked into the drive core room, and asked Ken, "What's going on down here, Engineer Donnely? I thought that you were supposed to be working on calibrating the drive core."

Ken turned to her, and said, "Tali! Care to join in the fun?"

"No, you aren't supposed to be drinking in the drive core room."

"We're blowing off some steam. We've been through a lot lately."

"We had a party in Kasumi's room yesterday."

"There wasn't a lot of time to relax then. We just need to get drunk right now."

"Not while on duty. If Shepard or Miranda heard they'd have an aneurism."

"Yes, what is going on in here?" Miranda asked.

"Well, Ms. Lawson, we're getting shitfaced."

"While on duty?" Miranda asked, starting to sound very pissed.

Jack then said, "Relax, cheerleader. It's not like we're damaging the ship."

Miranda said, "They are supposed to be working. I do not care if the party yesterday was messed up, you are not holding another one in the engine room."

Ken nodded, and said, "Alright, guys. I suppose we need to wind this down and get to work."

The crew nodded, and exited the room.

"You're lucky Jessica isn't here. She'd probably throw you out the airlock."

"Shepard wouldn't do that." Ken said as he got to working on the drive core's calibration.

Gabby said, "Told you that it wouldn't work."

"Right, like you were doing anything important."

"I was working on the propulsion systems like I'm supposed to."

"Right." Ken said as he started calibrating the drive core's systems.

About five minutes later Miranda left, and everything was silent in the room until Lia walked in. Tali said, "Hi, Lia."

"Hi, Tali. What are you working on?"

"Have to make sure Ken doesn't screw anything up because he's drunk."

"I've only had a couple of drinks, Tali!" Ken protested.

"One of which was spiked with ryncol."

"There was only a couple of drops in it!"

"Ryncol is 198 proof. That raised the alcohol content to about fifty percent."

"It was only a single shot!"

"Right. Just get to work." Tali said.

"Alright, relax."

"Sorry, I'm just a bit sick." she said while working on the precision heat sinks used by the Normandy.

-=0=-

Mordin walked up to a terminal, and after looking at it for a few moments said, "Very thorough. Hate to see that."

"What have they been doing?"

"You wouldn't understand. Get degree in genetics, then will discuss."

"Alright, we need to keep moving." Jessica said, slowly moving through the corridor, going into a side room, filled with beds that had full body bags on them. Jessica walked up to one and said, "This one was a Weyrloc female, she died during the testing to cure the genophage."

Mordin closed his eyes, and said, "Rest young mother. Find your gods."

"That sounded religious."

"After genophage modification work done, felt lost. Wheel of life... popular salarian concept. Similar to human hinduism in focus on reincarnation. Like to think that death is not the end. So much more to offer the galaxy. Mistakes to fix."

"Like curing the genophage."

"Genophage modification not a mistake. Necessary."

"If you'd cured it, you'd have given the krogan hope, and reason to trust the other races."

"You assume human reaction. Were genophage to be cured before krogan re-unification they would expand. History has shown it."

"The krogan are a different people now. They've changed."

"Still a violent race. Would expand if genophage were to be cured prematurely."

"When do you plan to cure the genophage? Immediately after you get a cure, or when the reapers arrive?"

"Cure will be administered when krogan are ready, or on verge of extinction, whichever comes first. Urdnot Wrex sign of positive changes in krogan society. Hopefully he will be able to unite krogan in my lifetime. Would like to see genophage cured. Will bring closure on the matter as Paddok Wiks always said."

"He related to Paddon Wiks?"

"Brothers. Why?"

"I met Padon Wiks on Virmire." Jessica said as they continued to move through the base. They slowly crept through the door, and saw a massive room, laid out similar to a prison. She said, "Alright, everyone be careful. I've got a feeling that Guld's going to be in here."

A booming krogan voice filled the room, saying, "Correct, human! Who dares enter the home of clan Weyrloc?"

"Commander Shepard. You might have heard of me."

"The one who stopped the attack on the Citadel, and destroyed the genophage cure on Virmire. We are familiar with you."

"So, you should know, Guld, that if you stand in my way, I'll kill you."

"I am stronger than your weak allies in clan Urdnot. You believe you can kill me, but you have not faced my power!"

"I've beaten down better krogan than you."

"You know nothing of what makes us strong! We were chosen by those who came before the protheans, the reapers!"

"Really? That's interesting. Did you know they failed to destroy the protheans? I've got one with me right now."

"You lie! The reapers are infallible!"

"Why are you trying to cure the genophage if you worship the reapers?"

"They need more krogan than there are alive currently. The genophage prevents reproduction. So, the reapers desire that it be cured!"

"Why do they need more krogan?"

"Surely you know why. The same reason they are taking humans!"

"What are you talking about?" Jessica asked, but then saw Guld thrown to the ground, and he began writhing.

His voice changed, from the powerful, booming voice that it had been before, it was now quiet and raspy. He said, "You will not know. The reapers ways are beyond your understanding, human."

"Krogan'til." Javik said.

"What?"

"He is no longer krogan. He is krogan'til. It is what we called those who resisted Indoctrination, but were taken by the monster that was created."

"What kind of monster?"

"One that is powerful. It can use dark energy without element zero. Why?"

Jessica collapsed at Javik's words. The reapers had managed to get into her head. The Butcher was a creation of the reapers. They'd tried to take her on Mindoir, but she'd resisted. Her mind flashed back to her final days on that planet.

-=0=-

Shepard's past. Mindoir.

I walked out of the house, glaring at the people around her. It had an air of nothing mattering. Then, I saw someone that made me stop where I was standing. It was matriarch Aethyta. I walked up to her, and asked, "How are you doing, Matriarch Aethyta?"

She turned, and said, "Damn, Jessica. I didn't know your family had moved to Mindoir. Why'd you quit working for Lawson?"

My eyes darkened, and I said, "He killed Miri."

She put a hand on my shoulder, and said, "I know what it's like to lose someone you love. Time heals all wounds, some just take longer than others."  
"He murdered her, and there was nothing I could do to help her. I couldn't even avenge her."

"Vengeance doesn't solve shit. You just have to let her go."

"I've tried. But, I just can't."

"I know. I remember what it was like with the mom of my pureblood kid. Still think of her sometimes."

"What do you do when you think about her?"

"I find a good distraction. But, that doesn't always work. If that happens, I just get drunk."

"I can't do that."

"Yeah, but at least you have a family to distract you."

"Maybe. It was good to see you again." I said, as I walked off to the hill that overlooked the starport. I sat down, and looked upon what was going on down there.. It looked like there was a prothean artifact down there. I looked closely, but couldn't get a clear view of it. I shook my head, and ran down the side of the hill. When I got down to the port, I was able to get a quick view of the artifact before it was carted to the hangar. I didn't know why, but I felt like I had to get a closer look at it. I walked back home, where Sarah asked, "What's up, Jessica?"  
"Not much. Saw Aethyta earlier."

"She's here? I suppose she's overseeing the extraction of that relic."

"I don't think so. I think she's just come here to relax."

"I don't trust her. She worked for Miranda's dad back in the day."

"So did I, Sarah."

"You were different. You just did what you could to keep her safe from him. Lying to that guy when he asked you what was going on."

"Aethyta didn't spy on Miri either. She just taught her how to use her biotics."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. We gave our reports at the same time. And hers always agreed with my lies."

"If you say so. Do you have any idea what the artifact is?"

"I only got a brief glance at it, but it's definitely old. I know that we don't have any tech that looks like that."

"Aww. I thought you would have been able to examine it more closely." Cynthia said.

"It isn't exactly something they'd let a seventeen year old look at. It's advanced prothean technology."

"That is so not like you Jessie." Sarah said.

"I didn't want to get into trouble here. I did what I could to help Miri's sister, but that led to her premature death." I replied, bitterness in my voice.

"There was nothing you could do, Jess." Cynthia said.

"You know I don't like those nicknames, why do you insist on using them."

"Right, like you'd complain if Miranda had been the one to coin them." Sarah teased.

"Sarah, really? There has to be something more productive for you to do."

"Not really. Mom says dinner won't be ready for another couple of hours."

"Right. I'll be working in my room."

"Have fun. Don't do anything illegal." Sarah said as I went to my room. There, I booted up my terminal, and began planning how best to get into the storage building that the artifact was held in. I wished Miri was here. She would have been able to get in as if it were a piece of cake.

-=0=-

Miranda's POV.

I stared out into the stars. I looked at the identity of my target. It was a Stephanie Larson. Height 5'6'', weight 123 pounds, age 29. She had red hair and a pronounced nose. She was also very intelligent. Having an IQ of 142. It would be difficult to get to her, but I should be able to succeed. The Illusive Man had given me shelter and agreed to help hide Orianna. Yet I still wished that I could go to Mindoir. There were four Jessica Shepard's on that planet. Clever of John. Hide them by moving to a planet with three other Jessica Shepards. It was a strangely common name in the galaxy.

"You just going to just sit there lost in thought all day?" Operative Demolisher asked. She hadn't given me her actual name, but I figured that she had a large amount of skill to be sent to take out such a high-value target.

"Sorry, just trying to work a few things out."

"Well, you should work them out fast, we're twenty minutes from Eden Prime."

"We're that close already? When'd we hit the relay?"

"Fifty minutes ago."

"Then I suppose I should be getting my gear ready."

"Not yet. We have to blend in." the operative said as she pulled off her armor. She then switched into typical colonist clothes, and I did the same. She handed my a pistol, and said, "Keep it hidden, but be ready to use it at any time. We're in hostile territory now."

"Why are we going after this girl? She's human."

"She's working with someone that the Illusive Man knows is working to destroy humanity."

"Who?"

"Sorry, kid. Classified."

"Surely you can give me a hint at least."

"Kid, you're a genius. What's your IQ again? 220?"

"Two hundred-fifteen."

"Close enough." Demolisher replied, "Also, while we're on this planet, you're Samantha Sovngarde, and I'm your sister Jessica."

"Could it be something other than Jessica?"

"Too late to change it. That's what the Illusive Man had made for us."

"Dammit. Where will we be staying?"

"There's a large structure for new arrivals to stay in until their skills have been determined. The target works in engineering, so that's what they'll see us skilled as."

"Understood, ma'am."

"You should start calling me Jessica now. You'll have to do it while we're on the planet, then we'll 'die' under mysterious circumstances, along with Ms. Larson."

"Understood. Does your cover have a middle name?"

"Tiffany. Why?"

"I'll just call you that. We'll say it's a quirk of my personality."

"Alright, but the Illusive Man may not like it."

"Well, Tiffany, I don't care." I replied, exiting the ship behind her. When we reached our quarters, she brought up a map of the colony and had the security points highlighted.

"These three points are where we can't go. There are a large number of guards at those points. Too many for you to silently take down with your biotics."

"Alright. When do we take out Larson?"

"Three days from now we'll be relocated to the same engineering dorm that she's in. We'll take her out that night."

"How?"

"We'll blow up the whole floor. No one will suspect us. After all, what kind of assassin would kill themselves to get a target."

"You better be right about this. I've still got a few personal issues to handle."

"Okay."  
-=0=-

Stephanie Larson's quarters. Stephanie's POV.

I walked into my room, and sighed. Little Jennifer was sick and down in the infirmary. Why was my daughter exposed to eezo? That couldn't have been a coincidence. Hopefully someone could help her. I looked around, and saw that young Rich Jenkins was running from Steve Cortez. Those kids did not get along well. Probably because Jenkins' father had told him to avoid the homosexual children. I shook my head. The close-mindedness of people in this day and age irked me. Then, I saw a pair of girls talking seriously, until Cortez ran into one. And was lifted into the air by the younger one's biotics. Then, she let him down when the blonde one got on her case.

"Isn't it nice to see that new people are still coming to Eden Prime. The year 2171 and we still are growing." William said.

"Yeah, Will. How's Jenny?"

"She's not doing too well. I don't know if she's going to make it."

"This is horrible. Our little girl dying from eezo exposure. Are you sure there's nothing we can do to help?"

"Yes, if there was something I could do to save her, I would do it."

I nodded, and started crying on his shoulder.

"She's five years old, and dying. Is she conscious?"

"No, the last time she was awake was last month. It's doubtful that she'll even recognize us if she recovers."

-=0=-

Miranda's POV.

I was walking down the path from the group of dorms that we were staying in when a little kid ran into me. I instinctively lifted him into the air with my biotics. I asked him, "What the bloody hell are you doing, kid?"

He said, "Sorry. Just playing tag with Richard."

"You have to be kidding me. You run into someone, because you were playing tag? Surely you can come up with a better excuse than that."

The kid looked shocked when he realized I thought it was because it was because he wanted to touch me, and he said, "I'm not like that! I swear!"

Demolisher said, "Samantha, put the kid down! He didn't do any harm by bumping into you."

I said, "Fine, but where are we going, Tiffany?"

"The main construction site. They said that all new arrivals are to go there. You really need to pay more attention."

"Sorry, I was thinking about some stuff back on earth."

"That's behind us, Sam."

"I know, but I can't believe what it was like down there."

"Neither can I."

-=0=-

TIM's POV.

I asked, "What is the status on the mission to acquire Jennifer Larson?"

"Operatives Lawson and Demolisher have arrived on the planet. Operative Lawson is unaware of the actual objective." Leng replied.

"Good. We don't need her to have any doubts. We do not want that child to have to deal with the knowledge that her parents are indoctrinated. And, she has great biotic potential. We'll send her to the facility on Pragia where they train the children in safety. Hopefully she'll be a normal, well-rounded person despite her parents' betrayal of humanity."

"Indeed."

"What is the status of Project Normandy?"

"That one isn't going too well. The Alliance is attempting to make it a project worked on beside the turians. They think it will help make peace with them."

"A smart move. The turians are currently the greatest threat to humanity in the galaxy. But there is more What do you have on Saren Arterius?"

"I followed him for a while, but I didn't get any information. Wherever the reaper is, he's hidden it well."

I glared at him and said, "That's unacceptable! We cannot have a reaper acting throughout the galaxy without our knowledge of its current location!"

"I've done what I can, sir." Leng replied defensively.

"Right, then why did you stop someone working on killing a rogue Cerberus director?"

"Director Lawson has not gone rogue, sir."

"He left Cerberus the moment we recruited his daughter. That makes him a rogue member of Cerberus. This Jessica Shepard would have tied up a loose end."

"This Jessica Shepard worked for former Director Lawson until a few months ago when she abducted his other daughter. And, was very close to Operative Lawson. If you had let me kill her, we would have greater control over Miranda."

"Or, would have her alienated if she ever found about it. I am well aware of their past relationship, but so long as that one is among four others on Mindoir, we should be good. We need to keep them separate in order to keep Lawson loyal. She might leave if she found her precious Jessica."  
"You're right. Which is why killing that girl would have been for the best."

"IT would be unacceptable, Leng. We do not kill those close to our Operatives. Get out of my office." I said, taking a puff on my cigarette.

-=0=-

Jessica's POV.

It was finally night. My plan was complete. I would get in, examine the artifact real quick, and get the hell out of there before anyone knew I was gone. I opened my window, silently jumped down, and sneaked up to the hill over the starport. I hacked into the security systems using the omni-tool Miri had given me a year and a half ago. When the systems were down, I activated a little program I'd whipped up that made a grapling hook. I used it to get onto the roof, and then cut through it to get onto the rafters.

Inside, I moved quickly. Lowering myself onto crates and then when I reached ground level, I moved to the container with the relic. I bypassed the security on it, and entered the container. Inside, I got a close look at the machine. It was unlike any tech I had ever seen. I looked at it for several minutes, trying to figure out the function of it. While I was looking at it, my head felt kinda funny, and my thoughts were stuck on Miri. Particularly how she was dead. I didn't understand, but strangely enough, the thing seemed frustrated that I was thinking about her. That made no sense to me, but I focused on her as I turned to exist. But, the door closed and locked. I tried to bypass it, but the security was ten times as strong now. It made no sense, and then there was a blast of dark energy from the device. As I passed out, I thought, _"I am going to be in so much trouble when I am found."_

-=0=-

Miranda's POV.

I stared out the window. We were two days from being relocated to the engineering camp. The head of assignment was almost certain he'd put us there. I didn't trust Operative Demolisher, it felt like there was more going on here than I knew. _"I wonder what Jessica is doing right now."_

"You should quit zoning out, I could have killed you five times by now."

"If you did, the Illusive Man would be very angry with you, Demolisher."

"You're supposed to stay in character at all times. This is a test to see how well you'll do in the field."

"I'll be fine on the field. I just don't like this mission. It doesn't feel right. I've looked at Stephanie's file, and I've not seen anything that would indicate that she's an enemy of humanity and the Alliance."

"She's a deep cover operative of an organization that is working to pull humanity down. She is a critical member of that organization, so she has to be eliminated."

"You can't honestly think that. She has a five year old daughter. Suffering from complications related to eezo exposure. She is falling apart because of it."

"Trust me, kid. She's an enemy of the human race."

"I don't trust you."

"I know that this target may seem similar to your old girlfriend, but this one's not someone you can trust. She has murdered innocent civilians just to advance her own personal goals. Look at this extra data. I saw her kill several people who were unrelated to their little schemes just in case they learned of it."

I nodded, and said, "Fine."

-=0=-

Jessica's POV.

I woke up, and my head was killing me. Dad was looking at me, and he said, "She's alright. Jessica, what the heck were you doing in there?"

I coughed, and said, "There were a couple of kids sneaking in. They managed to take out the security by cutting the wires. Then, they opened this crate, and I came in after them. I told them that they shouldn't be here, but they threw me in and locked the door. Then, the artifact released a blast of dark energy which knocked me out."

"What happened to the people who broke in?"

"I don't know. They didn't look too good last I saw them. They looked really sick."

"Who were they?"

"I didn't recognize them, they were probably from another part of the colony."

"I'm sure they'll be found. Jessica, let's head home." Dad said, as the building was rocked by an explosion. A message came in from Sarah, it said, "The batarians have hit the colony, they're killing or putting control chips in everyone they find. They already got Cynthia!"

I said, "Those sons of bitches won't get away with this." The anger in my voice was clear as I brought up my omni tool and worked on prepping several combat programs.

Dad placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Don't. I'll handle it."

"You can't move properly, Dad. They'll kill you!"

"You forget, Jessica, I'm an N7 marine. I've killed a Spectre. No batarian's going to best me. But, just in case the worst happens, I want you to keep your pistol on you."

"How'd you know I have a pistol?"

"You think I didn't hear about your time in the Reds?" When he saw the shock in my eyes, he said, "Don't worry, I understand. If I someone killed your mother, I'd do whatever it took to avenge her. Now be safe."

"I can help you."

"I can handle myself, don't worry about me. Just be safe." Dad said as he limped out of the building, flanked by the other adults who had rescued me. I quickly climbed up the crates, and was soon in the rafters. I ran up to the roof, and said, "Sorry, Dad, but I'm not going to risk Sarah." However, I saw that the batarians had already killed several people on the roof, and that Cynthia'd corpse was also on the roof. Her corpse had been put on the roof, along with a few others. I swallowed bile as I made my decision. I sprinted and hid under the corpses, my pistol at the ready. And then I saw Dad fighting the batarians. Even with his limp, he was kicking the asses of the batarian bastards. Then, a varren jumped on him from behind. I tried to aim at the thing, but it had already bitten clear through his neck. There was nothing I could do to save him. Then, the bodies were piled on top of me. Seeing what was happening to Mindoir wasn't acceptable. I winced, and decided that I had to stay here. I couldn't help the rest of the colonists.

-=0=-

Present day, Tuchanka.

Jessica was holding still, horror clear in her eyes. The reapers had taken her, even though she wasn't indoctrinated. She asked, "Why didn't Vigil notice that there was one in me? That I was human'til?"

"You aren't. You still have control. It is almost impossible for one to lose to the monster within them. They lack the controlling force of indoctrination. They are a force of nature, nothing more."

"Do you have any way of getting rid of this damn thing inside me?"

"It is created by reaper tech, so no."

"Dammit! We have to find a way to get rid of this."

"We do not know how, but there is something that could have the information on how to remove it. It is called a storer."

"What the hell is a storer?"

"An organic construct made by the reapers. They can take many forms. I do not know where one is, though. We'll have to find one."

"I'll have EDI look into it. Maybe Cerberus has some files she can get into."

"Doubtful. We had only just discovered the storers when the reapers came. It is probable that your people have not encountered them." Javik said, before shooting Guld in the head, but the barriers resisted the shot.

Jessica got off her feet, pulled out her shotgun, and sent the guy flying backwards with an amplified round from it. He roared and tried to charge, but Jessica was already on top of him. He was barely able to block the Commander's fist. He backed off while the Commander made two blades of dark energy appear in her hands. They had long blades, and they wrapped around her hands to hold them there.

Guld saw the Commander's move, and made a blade of his own. He took a fighting stance, and they stood still, waiting for the other to move. Javik, Mordin, and Grunt had managed to distract the krogan chief's guards, but he and the Commander were holding still. The air itself seemed to be tense with anticipation for when the two would collide. Their blades screamed with anticipation of the coming battle. It seemed as if they were alive, all three of the weapons of dark energy were resonating together, on the verge of detonating, when Guld charged.

Jessica smirked, and charged at him as well. As their blades clashed, the air around the points of contact was pushed away at supersonic speed. It knocked down everyone in the room other than Jessica and Guld, who stumbled away from each other before Jessica jumped to the side of the krogan and slashed at his arm. The krogan managed to block it, and pushed Jessica over the edge. She landed easily on the lower level, but had to roll away as the krogan jumped down to where she was. Grunt moved to fire on Guld, but Javik said, "This is the Commander's battle. She has to kill Guld without help."

"That's stupid."

"It is for her sanity. If she defeats a krogan'til while still herself, then it will build up her confidence in her ability to maintain control over herself."

"Correct. Also, she's buying us time. Need to find Maelon." Mordin added.

"No," Javik said, "we have to make sure that if she loses this battle, we can finish it for her."

The salarian nodded, and started watching the human and krogan doing battle. The smaller human was evading the krogan's attacks, jumping, sidestepping, and rolling away from its attacks. When the krogan stopped attacking for a brief moment, she countered with a flurry of blows with her dual blades. Guld managed to block it, but barely. Having to create a shield to block most of the attacks from her left blade. After the first flurry of blows, she leapt above him and threw both of the blades into his shoulders. He dropped his sword and shield, while Jessica whipped out another blade. She charged him and swung up from the ground, cleaving the krogan in two. As it fell to two sides, she said, "The area's clear. Let's go get Maelon out of here."

Mordin nodded, and soon they were standing before a door.

"Smell of antiseptic strongest here. Lab through this door."

"Good. I've had enough of this hospital." Jessica said as she opened the door. Inside, a salarian was working on a large sample of data.

"Maelon. Alive. Unharmed. You were right, Shepard. Working with Weyrloc to cure genophage."

"So, the great Professor Solus has come to savage Tuchanka. Why are you here, Mordin?"

"Came to rescue you. Thought you were in danger."

"Don't lie. You knew all along what was going on here. You don't want the genophage to be cured, so you came to destroy this place."

Jessica said, "He thought you were being tortured by Weyrloc. Perhaps you should listen to what he has to say before you accuse him of just trying to prevent the genophage being cured."

"What do you know about him, Shepard?"

"More than you, apparently."

"You know nothing, you weren't there when he led us to modify the genophage. It was his idea!"

"Whole team agreed that genophage modification was best for galaxy! I only brought up the idea. Never moved for any of the potential options until others had made their decisions. Including you."

"Everyone knew that it was what you wanted to do. Modify what our ancestors created. Didn't you say that it was ten times the complexity. We were known as heroes in the STG, but we are monsters!"

"What you have done here is unacceptable." Javik said, "Brutal experimentation. Conditions in your test area not being sterile. You are pathetic."

"What makes you think you have the right to scold me, Collector?"  
"I am not a Collector. I am a prothean."

"Right. And I'm a reaper." Maelon said.

While the salarian was talking, Grunt walked over to him, and headbutted him. Maelon turned to him and fired a single round into the krogan's armor. Grunt roared, and broke Maelon's back. The salarian fell lifeless to the ground, and Jessica said, "Grunt, what the hell? He could have had useful information."

"He needed to shut up. Salarians talk too much, like the tank."

"Alright. Mordin get the data. It could help your work."

Mordin nodded, and a few moments later said, "Done. Let's get out of here."

-=0=-

Miranda was sitting in the medbay, when EDI said, "Shepard and the ground team have returned to the Normandy. The Commander would like to speak with you, Ms. Lawson."

"Understood. I'll head to the elevator."

When Miranda reached the elevator, she waited there for a few minutes, until it opened with Jessica, Mordin, Grunt, and Javik. The Commander said, "Miranda, can we talk in your office?"

"Of course, Jessica." Miranda replied.

Once they were inside, Jessica said, "You will be taking command of the Normandy for the next few days."

"Why?"

"The reapers have a grip on me. I need to find a way to remove that grip."

"The Butcher is because of a _failed _indoctrination attempt. They didn't actually take control of you. You'll be fine. They won't take control of you."

"How do you know that?"

"I did some research into it.

"You know as well as I do that those in the later stages of reaper indoctrination can enhance the signals."

"Yet no one has ever noticed it. The scanners on the Normandy didn't notice signs of any signals being amplified. Jessica, you're worrying too much about it."

"I can't risk hurting you, Miri. If you died because of me, then what would I have to look for? I'm trying to find a way to cure myself so that we can be together again. But, until that happens, It's too dangerous for you to be near me."

Miranda said, "Don't you get it? The Butcher can't really control you. Maybe you should speak to our guests in the medbay."

"What guests in the med bay?"

"Several krogan females who are immune to the genophage. They have an interesting perspective on things. And they helped me with my research into the Butcher."

"I'll look into it. I wondered what Garrus meant when he said you'd started picking up strays."

Miranda nodded, and watched Jessica walk out of her quarters and into the med bay.

One of the krogan said, "Commander Shepard."

"You are?"

"I am one of the few who managed to escape the Weyrloc base after the salarian experimented on us."

"You escaped from Maelon's lab?"

"Yes, but it was not easy. We have been so sick ever since he tested his 'cure' on us."

"He tested it on you and you survived?"

"Yes, but we are very sick."

"Why?"

"Our bodies can no longer resist disease."

"Is it a side-effect of the cure?"

"Yes."

"That must be terrible. Miranda told me you had information about the Butcher."

"You are tainted by it, but you lack understanding. You do not know that they are weak when it comes to control. The only way they can control is by destroying the one they are within. To do that is almost impossible."

"You're saying that this thing inside me won't be able to control me unless it manages to end my life?"

"Yes, it is not dangerous to anyone other than you."

"When did you learn about it?"

"It was part of my training as a shaman of the female clans. We were required to learn as much as we could about the history of the krogan. Pain breeds wisdom, and the genophage has made us very wise."

"It must be hard dealing with it. What has happened to your people. How do you deal with it?"

"We take the pain and make it a part of ourselves. We focus it, and use it to guide our fellow krogan."

"I see. Don't worry. Someday soon, the genophage will be gone. We've got a salarian working on curing it. Improving on what Maelon did. He'll find a way to cure the krogan without damaging their immune system."

"Strange. I did not think that the Salarian Union supported a genophage cure."

"They don't. However, Mordin understands the need for a cure. He knows that if the krogan are still suffering under the genophage that they won't help the galaxy when the reapers arrive. I'll talk to you more later, Eve."

"Eve?"

"Human mythology. Supposedly the first woman ever to exist was named Eve. You're one of the first krogan to be free of the genophage in over a thousand years."

"I see." Eve said, staring out to the stars.

Jessica nodded, and walked out of the room. She entered Miranda's quarters and asked, "How long have they been on the Normandy?"

"A few hours, why?"

"I'm just wondering how long I'll be able to wait before I tell Wrex about them. And Miranda, I'm sorry, I may have more information now. But, I'm not sure." She then turned to the terminal where EDI's avatar would appear and asked, "What have you found on something called the storer in Cerberus's files?"

"I have been working on it, and have come across some surprising information. The storer has gone by another name. In fact you have already encountered one on Feros. The storers are thorians." The AI said.

-=0=-

**A\N: Another chapter done. This one was fun to write. If you don't like the frequent use of swords lately, please let me know. Next chapter will be on Illium and the trip there. Thank you all for reading this, and please, please review. It motivates me to write, and helps me improve my writing style. **


	50. Chapter 49: The Hunt for the Storer 1

Jessica asked, "So, I might have the information on how to remove the Butcher. Maybe T'Soni will be able to create more of that formula she used on me. Get her on the channel in here."

"Yes, Commander." EDI replied.

A few minutes later, Liara showed up on the screen. She asked, "Why do you want to talk to me, Commander?"

"I've got a slight problem. I was wondering if you could possibly whip up more of that formula you gave me to access more information from the thorian."

"I'll work on it, why do you need to look into more thorian information?"

"Like I said, I've got a slight problem. It's not something that it would be safe to discuss over any communication channels. I just need more of that formula if I'm going to find a way to fix this problem."

Liara was quite for a good deal of time, then asked, "Is it about the Butcher?"

"What? How does everyone know about it?"

"I have done a great deal of prothean research, and they had done a good amount of research into such diseases of the mind. However, I have one condition on if I will make more of the formula. I would like to speak to the prothean you recovered from Haestrom."

"I'll have him speak with you if he's willing."

"Thank you, Shepard. I'll get to work on the formula. But, there's one other thing I need your help with."

"What?"

"I don't feel comfortable discussing it here. What I need help with, well, it could easily be intercepted, and I do not want to make the task any more difficult than it has to be."

"What is it?"

"It's something that you would be able to make vastly easier."

"I need more details than this."

"You'll get all the details you need when the time comes."

"If I don't know what I'm getting myself into, I won't help you, Doctor."

"The target could be listening in on this conversation. I do not want the plan to compromised."

"I'll expect a full sit-rep when we arrive on Illium."

"You'll get one. I'll be sure to have the formula ready when you arrive."

"Good." Jessica said as she exited the room.

Once the Commander was gone, Miranda asked, "What do you put in that formula?"

Liara didn't reply, but instead cut off the communication.

-=0=-

Jessica sat down in the loft, and was about to go to sleep when EDI said, "Commander, I have just recovered an interesting piece of information."

"What is it?"

"It appears that Cerberus has found a second thorian. However, all I have been able to determine about the location of the thorian is that it is somewhere on Illium. I haven't been able to find further information on it."

"It's on Illium? Are there any Cerberus bases on the planet?"

"None that my limited access to Cerberus's networks can locate. I will attempt to find any links to Cerberus on Illium. Perhaps Doctor T'soni would be able to find information."

"Not yet. I don't want to have to go to her for any more help than necessary."

"Understood. I am focusing all of my resources on hunting down any Cerberus facilities on Illium."

"Why isn't this thorian data more heavily protected?"

"Most of Cerberus is working on the thorian data in one functionality or another. It appears that it is part of an Operation Recovery. I have checked with Ms. Lawson, and she has no recollection of such a project, so it would appear that she had fallen out of the Illusive Man's favor by the time that this was begun."

"Or, it was started after I found her on the Citadel."

"That is possible, but I think it is more likely that he did not trust her with this information because of the individuals he has working on it. They are some of the less savory people in Cerberus."

"What can you tell me about Project Recovery?"

"Nothing, beyond the name. I think it is possible that the Illusive Man is trying to get _you_ to interact with the thorian. I know this my be risky, but I think that it would be advisable to contact him again."

"If I'm not going to T'Soni for aid, why would I go to the Illusive Man?"

"Not for assistance, to speak to him, to use him to gather information."

"I will not speak to the Illusive Man again, unless it is in the flesh."

"Then, we can't get any useful data from him. However, I found someone who may be of use."

"Who?"

"A Lieutenant James Vega. He was on an asari-human colony in its early stages when it was attacked by the Collectors. The colony was devastated, but he managed to get an inside source on Cerberus, another colonist who managed to avoid capture. He may be willing to share that information with you."

"Where is he?"

"He is currently on Omega."

"How far out of the way would a trip to Omega be?"

"If we change course soon, it will not be out of the way."

"Then do it. We need intel on Cerberus. And, he might be able to give us that."

"Understood, Jeff has changed course. We will be arriving on Omega in twenty minutes."

"Good, tell Thane, Garrus, and Kasumi to get ready to move. We need to get on Omega, get the information, and leave without being traced."

"I would also suggest bringing Ms. Lawson along."

"No, I'm not taking her."

"Ms. Lawson's biotic abilities could be valuable to the team on Omega."

"This isn't open for discussion, EDI. I've made my decision." Jessica said as she quickly equipped her N7 armor. Then, she headed down to the CIC, where the others were waiting. It was silent at first, then Garrus asked, "Why are we making a stop on Omega?"

"There's someone we're going to talk to because he may have information on Cerberus."

"Why are we hunting down intel on Cerberus, shouldn't we be preparing to go after the Collectors?" he asked.

"This is more important."

"Why is it more important, Shepard?"

"Because, they've found a thorian, and it's somewhere on Illium. We have to find out where it is, so we're going to meet someone who may have information on them."

"Who?" Kasumi asked.

"A Lieutenant James Vega."

Garrus said, "Not that guy. He's a drunk, that's it."

"EDI thinks he has a contact in Cerberus we could use. So, I'm going to get him to tell us who it is so we can find the base and take out the thorian, after it and I have a little chat."

"Don't try talking with a thorian. It'll only cause trouble."

"Last time we didn't get a chance. Negotiations had already broken down. I'm determined to find a way to get information from those things, and not lose anyone on my crew. So, unless you have a better plan, Garrus, we're doing things my way."

"Alright, but I don't like this. That guy doesn't do shit, he just whines about how he should have made a different choice. If you think Harkin was annoying, he's got nothing on Vega."

"Well, let's hope I'm a little bit more patient this time around." she said with a grin as the Normandy came to a halt. They walked to the airlock, and when the door opened they once again entered the streets of Omega. They quietly walked through the station, but their path was blocked by a group of batarians.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jessica asked.

"We aren't here for you, Shepard. We're here for Vakarian. Or should I say... Archangel."

"I'm not Archangel. You've got the wrong turian." Garrus replied.

"Don't be a smartass, we know who you are. That armor was Archangel's."

"Strange, I got this armor after Archangel died. Why don't you just move along?" Garrus asked, while messing with the armor around his neck.

"Don't bother lying. Even if you aren't Archangel, you're close enough. The gangs have a bounty on Archangel since they learned he didn't die in that building."

That was when Jessica, who had been standing completely still with her eyes closed opened them so that the batarians could see how they were glowing red, and she said, "Do you really think that I'd let you kill someone on my ground team, batarian?"

"You can't stop us."

"That's what they always say. Funny thing is, they're all dead and I'm still around. Maybe you should learn from their mistakes."

"You haven't fought us, Shepard. For all you know, we're better than they were."

"Are you a better fighter than the Collectors? Can you fight better than a krogan clan? No? I thought so. Go, or you'll find yourself as dead as Saren. Just hope you aren't as Indoctrinated."

The batarians looked into the Commanders eyes and saw that even through the red glow that she would kill them if they didn't get out of the way. The saw that she was just as deadly as the stories said she was. That if they didn't back off, there would be nothing left of them. Not a body for their families to bury. They nodded, and let them pass.

"Smart move." Jessica said, walking into Afterlife. Inside, it was as much of a bustle as everywhere else. She turned to Garrus and said, "Find me Vega."

"It should be easy."

"Good, I don't want to spend too long here."

Garrus nodded, and looked around. The team walked through the bar, until they saw a single human watching a turian harassing an asari. He looked like he wanted to do something, but he couldn't bring himself to act. Thane looked disgusted by the turian's actions, and walked over to him. A few words later, and the turian left, terror clear in his eyes.

When the drell returned, Jessica asked, "What did you say to him?"

"I merely said that if he didn't leave the asari alone that I would have no choice but to forcibly remove him from this establishment."

"Don't threaten to kill people." she replied.

"Understood, Siha."

"Don't call me that."

Garrus then said, "That guy who was watching is Vega."

"Got it." Jessica said as she walked over to him.

Vega asked, "Who are you, N7?"

"Commander Jessica Shepard, Lieutenant Vega."

"Commander Shepard died two years ago on the Normandy SR1."

"I did die, I just got better."

"You don't get better after you die."

"Most people don't, Commander Shepard does."

"You're pretty confident. Why are you talking to someone like me? The only time I was given a command I screwed it up."

"I'm not here about whatever happened to you in the past. I need access to your Cerberus contacts."

"Why should I share that info, Shepard?"

"What do you mean?

"How can I know you won't cave in during the mission? How do I know that you won't give in to him to get your data?"

"Because, I will never give in to someone I've never met. Even if it meant losing to the reapers, I would never give in. I am my own person. I am free. I will never surrender. I will fight to the end. I will never compromise who I am. No matter what the circumstances will I give in to the will of an enemy. Because, I fight not for survival, but so that the galaxy will have a chance to determine its own path. No matter what happens to the ones I care for, my goal will never change. That, Vega, is why you can be sure I will not give in to his demands."

"Alright, you win, Shepard. But, he isn't near here. I'll have to set up a meeting."

"Make it on Illium."

"That isn't where he and I normally meet, why change the location?"

"Because, that's where I'm going."

"What's on Illium that's related to Cerberus?"

"That's a secret I won't even tell the Council, don't expect me to share it with you."

"Alright. I'll set it up, but I'll have to be there. He won't show if he doesn't think I did."

"Alright. Head to the Normandy after you've set up the meeting."

"It may take a while."

"Make it fast, I don't have time."

"I'll do what I can. I'll probably be there in thirty."

"I'll hold you to that, Lieutenant. I'm not very patient at the moment." Jessica said as she walked away.

-=0=-

Jessica walked into Miranda's quarters and said, "Hey."

"How are you feeling, Jessica?"

"I've been better. Been worse too."

"That you have. You look like something's bothering you. What is it?"

"I feel like I'm lost, dealing with forces I don't understand. I feel like there's nothing I can do to protect the one's I love. I feel powerless. It's like I could lose control at any moment, and there would be no way for me to stop it." the Commander looked Miranda in the eyes and said, "I'm terrified, Miri. Never in my life have I felt like this. Like there is literally nothing I can do. Not even on Mindoir did I feel that even if I tried I couldn't help at all." Jessica's voice cracked and she said, "I can feel the Butcher inside me now. I can't make it be quiet. It says that it will kill you, and that the longer I resist, the more painful your end will be."

Miranda placed a hand on Jessica's shoulder, and said, "You'll be fine. If there was ever a person that could beat the Butcher, it's you."

"No, I can't. I'm too... weak. I may put up a tough show, but the truth is I'm losing my mind. I'm losing myself to the Butcher. I can't resist it forever. Before, it was quiet. Now, it screams in my mind constantly."

"You don't have face it alone, Jessica."

"Miri, no. It's too risky."

Miranda shook her head and said, "Dammit, Jessica! Why won't you listen? Why do you have to be so bloody stubborn? I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I don't care that it is dangerous. Don't you see that the Butcher wants to push us apart? It knows that I'll be able to help you fight it."

Jessica looked at Miranda for a moment, then said, "You're right. It wants to kill me, because it knows that despite its power with dark energy, I won't let it hurt you. That I'd sooner destroy myself, and it, than have you die."

Miranda smiled, since Jessica had finally gotten past the idiocy that she had to protect her from the Butcher, when it didn't have the power to take control.

Jessica placed a hand on Miranda's cheek, before kissing the raven-haired woman. A few moments later, she said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it."

"You're right. It was stupid."

Jessica smiled, and said, "Yeah. So, we'll be showing up on Illium in a bit, do you want to come along?"

"Of course." Miranda replied.

Then, EDI said, "Lieutenant Vega has arrived."

"Good, tell him I'll meet him in the communications center."

"Done. Logging you out."

"Do you trust this Vega?"

"No, but we need to find the thorian on Illium asap. I don't want it to start making people its slaves."

"Well, be sure to go in with at least a pistol on you."

"I've got a Carnifex hidden on me." Jessica replied as she walked into the elevator. A few moments later it opened in the CIC, and she walked over to her private terminal. There was a message from her mom, it went as such.

Jessica,

I know you're busy with the Normandy, but I thought you should know that the batarians have resumed their attacks on humanity. It seems the Collectors success have made them think that they can take our colonies too. And, they took Mindoir. The Alliance is preparing to take it back, but I thought you might want to take it back yourself.

Love, Mom.

The Commander quickly typed in a response.

Mom,

While I appreciate the offer to take back Mindoir, the batarians aren't a real threat, they're just a pest. The Collectors are the real threat, so I'm doing what I can to make sure that everyone on my team, myself included, are ready to take the fight to them. Good luck with taking back Mindoir.

Love, Jessica.

Jessica then walked into the communications room, where Vega was waiting. He said, "Commander Shepard, my contact will be meeting us on Illium at 1350 hours galactic standard time. The location is a small bar in Nos Astra. It shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Got it. Why were you on Omega, Lieutenant?"

"It's a long story, Commander."

"I've got time."

"Well, you know of Fel Prime, right?"

"Human\asari colony started around 2182."

"Right, well a while back, it was hit by the Collectors. The human colonists were taken and the asari were just killed. I was there, leading a squad of M6 marines. When it hit, we were investigating a Cerberus pod that had crashed down on the planet."

"What was in it?"

"All it had was a container marked 'Thorian spores, do not open.' I thought it was a bunch of bs. I had heard that you destroyed the only thorian in the galaxy."

"They could still have gathered a sample. Continue."

"Well, I opened it, and out came spores alright. I was so shocked I dropped the thing. The case broke on contact, so I couldn't do anything about the spores. We pulled out, but before we could get to the colony, the Collector ship came in and hit the primary defense cannon. After that was lost, we couldn't fight the Collectors directly. When we got to the colony itself, most of the humans there were in the Collector's pods. And... there were asari corpses everywhere. Even the former commandos had been killed quickly. It was a slaughter. We had to fight through a platoon of Collectors to get to a shuttle so we could board the ship and get whatever colonists we could off of it. Once we crashed into the ship, we knew we only had one way off, we had to finish the job before the Collectors finished with the colony. Inside that damn ship I saw something awful. My girlfriend was taken, and in that fucking ship she was reduced to nothing more than a bunch of orange liquid. I was there, trying to open the pod as it happened, but I was too slow. That was the only pod they used to liquify someone so quickly. The only one. Why the hell were they even doing that to us!"

Javik then stepped out of the shadows in a corner and said, "It is as I thought."

"What do you mean, four-eyes?" Vega asked.

"They are making a reaper from your people."

Jessica looked at Javik and asked, "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"It was only a theory, I didn't have hard evidence before this."

"What do you mean they're making a reaper from our people? The reapers are just a myth!"

"Tell that to Harbinger and his pals." Jessica growled, "The reapers are real. Even if you don't believe me when I say they are, you should trust the word of the last living prothean in the galaxy."

"The protheans are all dead."

Javik said, "_I_ am a prothean."

"Right, four-eyes."

Then, Vega was slammed into a wall by the furious prothean. He said, "You are a primitive. I was alive fifty thousand years before you. I have faced reapers on the ground, the worst you have had to face is a group of Collectors."

"Surviving a Collector attack isn't as easy as you seem to think."

"I killed thousands during my cycle. What makes you think that fighting a few dozen makes you a skilled warrior?"

"They killed everyone else on that planet. I was the only one to survive. My team is dead because of me. I told them to take the shuttle onto the Collector ship, and they were taken on it. If I had made the right call, they wouldn't be dead!"

"I know what you're going through, Vega. After Akuze I felt the same way. That their deaths were my fault. But, the simple truth is that it isn't. The team on Akuze didn't die because of me, and your team didn't die because of you."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

She growled, "I damn well know what I'm talking about. Do you think that you're the only who's had a mission go bad, but managed to survive? You're lucky to have made it off that vessel alive, so quit bitching about what happened in the past."

"It was my call. I sent them to their deaths."

"Bad calls happen, but you have to just accept it and move on."

"I lost everything that day! My girlfriend who I was going to ask to marry me, my team, and I got a commendation for it!"

"You aren't the only one who had to live believing you'll never see the one you love again. You'll get over it in time. Though there will be days that are harder than others."

"You talk like you've had experience. What could the great Commander Shepard have been through like this?"

"That's the problem with you people, you only see Commander Shepard, you don't realize that I'm just a normal person. I may be a symbol used by the Alliance, but you won't find the Shepard used in the recruitment adds in the real world. You see someone who follows all the rules, never questions orders, and always gets the job done. The only part of the recruitment posters is that I always get the job done. So long as there isn't a surprise Collector attack."

Vega shook his head and said, "You'll need to stay hidden at the bar at first. He'll be jumpy at first."

"He won't see anyone he doesn't need to."

"Good." Vega said as he left the room.

"He is a fool. We should throw him out the airlock." Javik said.

"I'd love to, but we still need his contact."

"Understood, Shepard." Javik replied, exiting the room.

The Commander stood there for a few moments, looking at the scan of the Collector cruiser they'd recovered a while back. Then, she went down to the crew's quarters, where Samara handed her an OSD and said, "You need to see this."

"Got it." Jessica replied, before entering Miranda's quarters.

"What's with the OSD?"

"I don't know. Samara handed it to me."

"Let's see what's on it." Miranda said. They loaded it up, and it showed Liara in a room that they didn't recognize. It had a shifting field of a blue substance in the roof. In front of Liara were several screens with information coming in from a large number of different agents. Then, one of them said, "Shadow Broker, I have information that Operative Kechlu has gone rogue. I would suggest that he is eliminated immediately."

Liara replied, "I plan to do just that."

"Also, it appears that a human has been affected by reaper technology. A Jessica Shepard. She appears to have survived the attack on her planet of Mindoir."

"Good. Find a way to capture her."

"That is not likely to happen. Immediately after the batarians were defeated she signed up with the Alliance."

"Find a way to abduct her, no matter what it takes."

"We're working on it."

The video then ended, and Miranda said, "That bitch! She tried to sell you to the Collectors. What the bloody hell was she thinking?"

"I don't know. But, she's going to have to give an explanation, through my boot. But, we need to find the thorian first." Jessica said.

EDI interupted, saying, "We've landed on Illium."

"Got it. We'll be heading to the bar where Vega wants to meet his contact."

"Understood. Vega, get moving. We'll be there, in the shadows." Jessica said into the PA.

There was no response, so she assumed he was already gone. Miranda headed to put on armor, but Jessica said, "We won't be using armor on this op."

"Alright." Miranda said, and they went down and took the kodiac so that the team could prepare the location of the meeting. Miranda asked Mordin, "Is there any tech we could use to make the Kodiac go invisible?"

"Cloaking tech still in early stages. Would have too high a power draw to be truly effective." Mordin replied.

"Alright, people," Jessica said, "we're now going over the plan."

"What is it?" Thane asked.

The Commander pulled up a map of the area where the meeting would be going down. She pointed to a skyscraper near the edge of the map. She said, "Garrus, Thane, you two will be sniping from here. Grunt, you'll be making sure they don't get attacked."

"If anyone tries to injure them, they'll die a painful death, Shepard."

"Good. Now, on this structure, Zaeed, you'll have a sniper. Kasumi, you'll be covering him. Mordin, Bau, you two will be one floor beneath the bar, and, if needed, will get up there in seventy-five seconds."

Bau said, "Understood, Commander."

Miranda then asked, "Why aren't we wearing armor?"

"Because, you and I will be posing as a couple on a date, that way, once Vega has him ready to talk, we'll go over to him."

"Got it."

"Tali, Samara, you two will be positioned here." Jessica said, pointing to a large structure that would be an excellent vantage point for observing the interaction, probably the best, but also the most obvious. "Kill anyone there you think could be Cerberus. Samara, if someone tries to arrest you, tell them that it was on my orders and that all homicides committed on this mission were in the interest of the Citadel."  
"Of course, Shepard."

"Good, lastly, Ash, Jacob, you two will be positioned here in the bar. Do what you can to look conspicuous. You'll be drawing Cerberus's attention."

"You don't think it'll just be him?"

"If I were in the position of Vega's contact, I would have backup there if I was told to meet in a different location than normal."

"If he's a mole, then the rest of Cerberus wouldn't know."

"TIM would keep a close watch on all of his Operatives. At least, he did with the Normandy team. Anyways, we're at your drop-off point, Thane, Grunt, Garrus. Move out."

"We won't be seen." Thane said.

"Good."

A few seconds later, they dropped off Zaeed and Kasumi. Then, they parked the shuttle on the landing pad beneath the bar. The salarians got out, and so did Jessica and Miranda. It then went up a single level and Ashley and Jacob got out.

Jessica and Miranda were soon sitting at a table across from Vega and his contact. Vega said, "Listen, are you sure that you can't talk to anyone other than me?"

"Absolutely. The Illusive Man is already suspicious of me, if I talk to your friend in the Alliance, then there will be no way for me to hide." The thin man said.

"Listen, I'm sure that she'd be able to get you somewhere safe."

"Yeah, but didn't you notice those two in the corner? The ones in the combat armor?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"I recognize the guy, he's Cerberus. But, what I don't understand is what Williams is doing with him."

"Williams?" Vega asked.

"Chief Ashley Williams, worked with Commander Shepard on the Normandy SR1 when she was going after Saren Arterius."

Vega said, "Shit, listen, I'm absolutely certain those two aren't Cerberus."

"How can you be?"

"I saw them with Commander Shepard on Omega.

"Shepard's on Omega? The Illusive Man will want to know that."

"Don't tell him about it, I only glimpsed her on Omega. Which is why I left. I didn't want to stay there when it might be another Virmire."

"Hopefully Shepard won't blow up the station. What do you want to know, Vega. I don't have much time."

"I don't know. Anything about Cerberus on Illium."

"Cerberus isn't on Illium." the contact said.

"I know you're lying, Cheong. Give me some damn intel."

"There isn't any Cerberus activity on the planet."

Then, Jessica walked over to him and said, "Quit lying, you little shit."

Miranda said, "Jessica, what are you doing? We're supposed to be relaxing here before you have to go back to work."

"The cover's no longer necessary, Miri." Jessica replied.

"So, who are you?" Cheong asked.

"Commander Shepard, Normandy SR2."

"You can't be serious. Commander Shepard's on Illium?"

"Yeah, she gave me a lift."

"In exchange for me. You're a damn bastard, Vega. I'm leaving." Cheong said.

"If you get out of that seat I'll have three snipers take you down. You'll stay there until you answer my questions."

"You have snipers set up? What, did you think the Illusive Man knew about this meeting?"

"Yes, so, where is the storer?"

"I don't know where it is."

"Then, where is a place where we can access Cerberus's databanks directly?"

"Nowhere on Illium."

Jessica slammed his head into the table, and said, "Wrong answer. I need intel on Cerberus's activity on Illium."

"They don't have a base on Illium, doesn't mean they don't have a base in this system, Shepard."

"Where is their base?"

"It's very close to Illium."

"Where?"

"It's on the moon. I trust you can find it with that?"

"Yeah." Jessica said. Before walking away from Cheong flanked by Miranda, Jacob, and Ashley. Then, when they reached the lower level where Mordin and Bau were, they saw that the Spectre was clenching his side, and Mordin was saying, "Need to apply medigel."

"No." Bau replied.

"What happened in here?" Jessica asked?"

"Cerberus agent on this floor. Fired on Bau. Managed to pierce shields."

"Bau, get some medigel on that wound."

"No, we don't have enough of it to warrant using it for a wound like this."

"We have plenty to fix up a wound like that. Use some damn medigel."

"Understood." the salarian Spectre said as he applied medigel.

"Where is the Cerberus agent?"

"Over there, managed to hit him in the arms and legs before he could do any more damage. Figured you would want to interrogate him."

"You were right." Jessica said as she walked over to the downed Cerberus operative.

He said, "So, you're the salarians' boss. Funny, I thought you'd be less human."

"Why did you attack Bau?"

"The Illusive Man wanted him gone. Jondum Bau did quite a bit of damage to Cerberus a while back."

"Well, you did a pathetic job. Where's the Cerberus base in this system?"  
"Wouldn't you like to know." Spat the agent as he collapsed.

Mordin walked over and investigated it. Then he said, "Neural flashbang. Dead before head hit the ground."

"Looks like they took your upgrade suggestion."

"Would have preferred they hadn't."

"So would I. Come on, we need to get moving, team."

A few short moments later, they were back in the Kodiac, and heading to Tali's location. When they arrived, the quarian and asari got in, and soon the entire team had been gathered together.

Back on the Normandy, Jessica and Miranda geared up in their armor, and the Commander said, "Miranda, Thane, and I will be infiltrating the Cerberus base on the moon."

The people being left behind nodded, and headed back to their stations. Then, the team that was going to the base entered the Kodiac, and set course for the moon.

-=0=-

**A\N: So, Jessica finally got it out of her head that she can't be near Miranda. She was really starting to lose it, but kept it hidden well. You couldn't tell because I(foolishly) didn't show any of her thoughts on the matter. And, this chapter was really hard to motivate myself to write. I kept writing a few sentences, then stopping. Because, you guys have been so very quite, I didn't know if I was even entertaining you with the story. Please, people, leave a review. Your silence is killing me. Also, thanks to everyone who voted on the BSN poll of what to do as the next bit of the story. Thank you all for reading, and once again, please, please, please leave a review. The more reviews I get, the more inspired to write I am, because I know you guys are enjoying it enough to take time out of your day to review. **


	51. Chapter 50: The Hunt for the Storer 2

Jessica and Miranda were staring at the moon of Illium. EDI said, "Having scanned the moon, we have located the location of the Cerberus base. The shuttle is currently heading to a location near the base. Three hundred-fifty meters away from the base, any closer and the stealth systems of the Kodiac would be ineffective."

"Understood. Do you have a nav-point on our HUDs?"

"Yes, you should be able to infiltrate the facility fairly easily. However, reaching the servers will be more difficult. There are approximately thirty Cerberus operatives inside."

"How many people are there in Cerberus?"

"Approximately 1500, Shepard."

"Well, let's cut that number down." Jessica said as she pressed the button on her suit's omni-tool that made the breather mask come out. Miranda and Thane did the same with their equipment, before the shuttle doors opened and the team exited. From there, they had to move several meters uphill to get a view of the base. Jessica pulled out her sniper rifle and scanned the area. The Cerberus facility had three mechs outside, two heavy turrets, and a single human.

Thane said, "I can take out the human with my rifle. He will be dead before he hits the ground."

"Got it, fire on my mark. I'll need to reposition so that I can take out the mechs all at once."

"Understood. I will stay my hand until you are ready."

"Good." the Commander replied as she moved away from the rest of the team. She kept moving, until she came across a single shaft. She brought out her omni-tool and used it to create a small camera drone that went down the shaft. As she carefully moved the drone down the shaft, it seemed to last forever on the cold moon of Illium. Then, finally, it reached the bottom, it was a weapons shaft. At the base, there were several WMDs from the late 21st century. If they were fired, a large portion of Illium would be covered in radiation and wouldn't be habitable for years. She pulled out the drone just as carefully as she'd sent it down, and then deactivated it, so as to prevent discovery. Crawling along the ground, she saw three more shafts to fire the ancient weapons of mass destruction from. Then, she was at an angle where she could take out the drones. She carefully sighted her targets, and then said, "Thane, take the shot in 3, 2, 1... fire." As the rounds were fired from the two sniper rifles, time seemed to stand still. When the mechs and human fell dead, the Commander said, "I need you two to get over here asap. This mission is a lot more complicated than we thought."

"What did you find, Jessica?" Miranda asked.

"I've got video you guys need to see to fully understand the severity of this situation."

"Understood, Siha, we are on our way." Thane said.

"I told you not to call me that, Krios."

"My apologies, Shepard." the drell replied. Once the other two were near, Jessica brought up her omni tool and showed the others the video the drone had recorded. There was silence for a moment, then Miranda said, "We can't go in there. They have the entire planet held hostage. There's no way we could possibly get in without them noticing."

"We couldn't, but we all know someone who could get in without being detected."

The other two were silent, then Thane said, "Even Kasumi would have difficulty entering this place, Shepard."

"She's the only one who can get in, and deactivate the power for the entire station. Delaying the firing of those WMDs. We are not going in to a base capable of taking out an entire planet."

"We don't know if they are on a separate power grid. If we are not careful, we could end up dooming Illium."

"That's why we're going to have it evacuated. I'm going to contact the Normandy and have Samara and Bau get the people on Illium to prepare to evacuate."

"Cerberus would notice, and fire the weapons before the people could escape. And, we can't just detonate them here, it would kill us, and probably destroy this entire moon."

"We have to risk it. Have it done quietly. No transmissions, conversations in person, while Kasumi does what she can."

"This isn't safe, Shepard. This will get all of Illium killed! We'll lose the thorian!" Miranda said.

"You haven't called me Shepard in years, Miri. And, I'm counting on the thorian making them reluctant to fire the missiles. We don't have another option. If we don't act soon, they might notice something's gone wrong."

"Alright, I'll contact the Normandy. We don't want them knowing you're here." Miranda said.

"Thanks, Miranda. Thane, I want you to scout out the area around here. Maybe you can find a side entrance for Kasumi to use."

"What will you be doing?"

"I'll be sending drones down those other shafts, just to be sure that there are as many WMDs as I think there are."

"A wise move, Sih, Shepard." Thane said, correcting himself midword.

Jessica nodded, and went about making sure that there were more weapons than they could shoot down in time.

-=0=-

Bau asked, "Are you absolutely sure that Cerberus has WMDs, Lawson?"

"Yes, I've seen video of them that Jessica recovered." Miranda replied.

Samara said, "We shall speak with the leaders of Illium, hopefully we will be able to convince them that the threat is credible. Thought, I find it unlikely."

"You have to get as many people off Illium as fast as possible. Also, have Kasumi brought here in a shuttle. We have need of her particular set of skills." Miranda said.

"I'll be there in a few." Kasumi said.

"Thanks," Miranda replied, with a small smile, "we can't let Cerberus destroy Illium. It would be the most devastating attack in over a hundred-fifty years."

"Really? I thought the one time that a batarian terrorist group hit an asari colony with an asteroid would be worse."

"It's probable that if Cerberus managed to successfully fire on Illium, that the outermost layer of the planet's crust would be completely gone. That would be far more catastrophic than even an asteroid. And, it would harm humanity almost as much as it would the asari. We'd probably lose our place on the council."

"You can't be serious!" the thief said.

"Just get moving, Kasumi. So we don't have to find out if I'm right." Miranda growled.

"I'm going." she replied, sprinting out of the room.

-=0=-

Thane walked up to Jessica and Miranda, and said, "There is a small shaft which appears to be used to remove trash and... waste products from the base. While it would not be pleasant, it would be a more stealthy way to enter the base."

"How did you find out its function?"

"I sent a drone down the path, and it was hit by them firing waste products out."

"How often does it do it?"

"It would take about fifteen minutes to go down, and from what I can tell they do not use it very often."

"Got it. We'll have Kasumi go down there when she arrives."

"Where are you having me go?" The aforementioned theif asked.

"Follow Thane, he'll show you."

"Alright, but it had better not be the trash, or you are going to owe me big time!"

"Won't having saved an entire planet be enough, Kas?" Jessica asked.

"Nah, I want some tangible benefits for this!" The thief said with a huge grin on her face as she followed the drell assassin to the entry point.

Once she saw it she said, "I am so glad that this mask keeps smells out. That is just nasty."

"Indeed. You'll have to be careful."

"I'm going to need therapy after this." The small Asian woman said as she started silently moving down the tunnel. It was long, and covered in filth too disgusting to describe. Kasumi looked as if she was going to vomit just from walking down the trash tube, then, from further down, a cube of compacted trash flew right over her shoulder, leaving a yellowish liquid on her suit. The thief shuddered, and kept moving, hoping that was the only piece of trash that would be fired at her from the base. The journey, while only sixteen minutes, seemed to last much longer because of the environment in which it took place. A few meters before the tunnel ended, Kasumi activated her tactical cloak and silently walked into the base. Inside, was what one would expect from the trash center, but what had her worried was the fact that to get out she had to go through the trash compactor itself.

The thief stood still for minutes, watching the compactor work, timing how much time there was between each time something was put in to be compacted. There was about thirty-four seconds to go through the twenty-seven meter long compactor. And, while that may not seem like a very long distance, it had to be done with complete silence. The smallest sound would break Kasumi's cover, and the facility would be prepared for her. So, she slowly moved towards the compactor, careful not to make a noise, and once the thing had begun to open after compacting some trash, Kasumi was in. Silently moving through it, it took her twenty seconds to get halfway through the compactor. She knew she was running out of time, so she sped up her pace a bit. Thirty seconds had passed and she was still three meters from the exit. Thirty-two had elapsed and she was still a good two meters from the other end. Kasumi started to sprint, making quite a bit of noise, but just before she got out, the thirty-fourth second passed, and the compactor slammed shut around her. Then, the trash was sent flying out of the base.

Outside, Thane saw the trash was bleeding, so he caught it with his biotics, and pulled it towards him. He examined it, and saw that it was coated in blood, but that there was no actual flesh in it. '_Perhaps she is still alive.'_ the assassin thought, until another cube came out, it was also bleeding, and it was a mix of fabric and flesh. The fabric looked exactly like that in the outfit Kasumi had been wearing. The thief hadn't made it out alive. She'd gotten crushed to death by the compactor within the base. Thane shook his head, and said, "Shepard, you have to come here."

"What is it?" the Commander asked.

"We have a massive problem."

"What is it, Thane?" Miranda asked.

"Kasumi is down. I repeat, Kasumi is down."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I have evidence right here."

"What happened to her?"

"You'll have to see it yourself." Thane replied.

-=0=-

Samara entered the office of the head of the Illium government and said, "There is an issue that we must discuss."

"What is it, Justicar?" the official asked, telling Samara's position from the crown-esque, pieces of metal on her head.

"There is a Cerberus base on the moon. And, it has sufficient nuclear weapons to leave Illium uninhabitable for centuries."

"You cannot be serious, Justicar."

"I am, Governor."

"Cerberus doesn't operate in this part of the galaxy!"

"There is currently a team lead by a Spectre working to take out the base. But, it is too dangerous a situation to not have the people of Illium ready to evacuate if the worst comes to pass. Which is why we need your help. You must have everyone prepare to leave immediately."

"I can't do that. There are certain powers the government doesn't have on Illium, and ordering a planet-wide evacuation is one of them. It would ruin commerce on Illium for weeks!"

"And if you don't, everyone on Ilium could end up dead. And, it cannot be done via long-range communications or transmissions, Cerberus might hear about it. We need to have people spread the word by directly speaking to others. It is the only way to ensure that no one dies."

"I will not risk destroying Illium's economy just to satisfy your hunch, Justicar!"

"This is not a hunch, and the evacuation is not even my idea. I was told to have you prepare to evacuate Illium by Commander Shepard herself. Even if you don't believe me, surely you would believe the words of the Savior of the Citadel."

"Commander Shepard is insane, Justicar. Talking about a race of sentient ships hiding out in dark space that are coming to kill us all. You would have to be a fool to trust her."

"The Citadel Council trusts Shepard, what makes you better than them?"

"They also think that there is a living prothean. They're all insane on the Citadel."

"I have spoken with the prothean, it isn't a lie."

The governor shook her head and said, "Listen, I don't have time for this. I have work to do. I let you in now because I respect your authority as a Justicar, but there are some things that I will not listen to, and batshit end of days theories are one of those things."

"This is not a theory, Governor. It is simply the current situation. If you would like, I can attempt to get Commander Shepard on the line to speak directly with you. But, Cerberus may hack into the communications and fire their weapons."

"I don't want to talk to an idiot soldier who only knows how to point a gun. This is just stupid, we've only just recovered from the attack by the Collectors. There is no way we could even handle an evacuation. We simply don't have the resources."

"We saved your planet during that attack. Maybe you should cease acting like a fool, and accept that there is a clear and present danger that you must react to."

"I'm not going to evacuate Illium. That would be like telling the Matriarchs to abandon Thessia without a fight."

"Illium may die tonight, the only question is, if it burns to the ground, will everyone on Illium burn as well?"

"You are not being funny, Justicar. Get the hell out of my office or I'll throw you out with my biotics."

"Surely you know that if you did so, the Code would demand that I kill you."

"You've sworn the Third Oath of Subsumation, so if it isn't something Shepard would want you to do, you wouldn't be allowed to."

"Shepard said that I was to go to any means necessary to get Illium evacuated."

"You're lying."

"Are you willing to take that risk?"

"You aren't acting very Justicar-like. Aren't you always supposed to protect the innocent?"

"If killing you enables the evacuation of Illium it would fit within the Code because I protected the highest possible number of innocents."

"That's one interpretation of it. The other is that you'd be breaking the Code by killing an innocent."

"If you are endangering the people of Illium, you are no longer innocent."

"I seem to recall telling you to leave." the governor said, realizing she had lost the argument with Samara.

"Prepare the planet for evacuation, and I will."

"The only possible way to do that would alert Cerberus. If you start to spread the word, I'll not speak against it, but I won't support it either."

"You will not interfere?"

"I know better than to endanger the innocent when a Justicar's involved. You can try and evacuate Illium, though it won't work. The people of Illium don't let others scar them into abandoning their businesses."

"I have no choice. There is a threat from Cerberus, and I plan to do what I can to make so they can harm no more civilians." Samara said.

-=0=-

Jondum Bau said, "Listen, you need to start spreading the word. The human-centric terrorist group has a nuclear missile base on the moon. We have to prepare the planet for evacuation."

The asari police officer said, "Sir, are you on Red Sand?"

"No, I'm trying to help you save innocent lives."

"Right, I'm going to have to ask you to take a drug test."

"I am a Council Spectre. I do not have to subject myself to your tests."

"Right, do you have anyone who can confirm that you're a Spectre?"

"Would Councilor Valern be good enough?"

"Yes, if you can contact him."

"Good." Bau said, as he hit a few keys on his omni-tool.

The salarian councilor came up on video and asked, "What is it, Bau?"

"I need some help. This cop doesn't believe that I'm a Spectre."

"Really?" Valern asked, "Who would lie about being a Spectre, that's as serious a crime can get short of withholding prothean technology."

"Yes, I would appreciate it if you told this foolish asari that I really am a Spectre."

"Fine, but, Bau, don't do this again. I have more important things to do than fix your problems."

"I understand, sir." the Spectre said as he turned it so that the cop could see the salarian councilor.

"Councilor."

"Officer, this man is indeed a Council Spectre. Do exactly as he says, or he may kill you."

"Understood." the cop said, as Bau let the Councilor go. She then said, "Well, Spectre. I'll start spreading the word. But, if I lose my job, I'm blaming you and your friends on the Citadel."

"If you lose your job, know that at least you may have saved lives." Bau said as he walked away and started talking to another cop. A few minutes later, he nodded, and started telling others about the impending danger. He kept repeating that it was a drill, just to make sure that everyone knew what to do in case of an imminent attack.

Bau continued working on spreading the word, when he saw an asari sneak behind a building. He didn't like that so he pulled out his pistol and silently moved to the alley where she had gone. He scanned the area, and saw that she had gone up. He followed her up to the building, and on the roof, he saw that it was Tela Vasir. "Vasir, what are you doing here on Illium?"

"Jondum, I didn't know you were here. Why is Commander Shepard on Illium?"

"That isn't your mission, Vasir. Why are you here?"

"It isn't related to your mission, so you shouldn't be too worried."

"I need an answer, Vasir. I'm working on a very sensitive matter, and anyone who shouldn't be here could be problematic for that."

"What is it? Has Shepard gone rogue like Tevos and Valern feared?"

"That isn't a problem. There is a planet-wide threat that needs to be handled carefully. Otherwise, there will be millions of lives lost."

"What are you talking about? Does T'Soni have anything to do with it?"

"No, why?" Bau asked.

"I've been investigating T'Soni lately. The Council is concerned with her current actions. They are worried that she could be upsetting the political balance in the galaxy."

"A single asari couldn't mess up the political balance of the galaxy."

"She is trying to take out one of the most powerful individuals in the galaxy and use information for her advantage. The Council doesn't want that."

"T'Soni is going after the Shadow Broker, the Council doesn't care about him."

"If the Broker is killed, the balance of power will be tipped in the favor of a single species. The Council exists to create a balance of power in the galaxy."

"So long as the Shadow Broker remains neutral the balance of power will be fine."

"The Council gave me orders to prevent the Shadow Broker from being changed."

"You're lying. They wouldn't be that concerned. What's your game, Tela?"

"Jondum, you should know better than to interfere in another Spectre's mission. A lot of good people have died because they made a similar mistake."

"Are you threatening me, Vasir?"

"If you interfere."

"The Commander is in need of T'Soni's help at the moment, so she has to stay alive for a little while longer."

"That's a shame. Shepard will have to deal with the fact that she can't get her help."

"I was told to help Shepard however I could. So, I cannot allow you to eliminate T'Soni yet. Wait until Shepard has what she needs, and she'll help you kill the Doctor."

"I am going to kill T'Soni today, and there is no way you can stop me, Bau."

Bau fired several rounds from his phalanx at the asari Spectre. She dodged the second through fifth rounds, and closed the distance with Bau. The people turned to watch the asari and salarian Spectres doing battle. While watching Thane take out a group of guards may have been impressive, watching two Spectres fight was something else entirely. It was elegant, there movements were rapid, every time one attacked, it was either dodged or blocked by the other.

As Bau tried to gain an advantage, Vasir dodged away from his attacks and then flared her biotics. As Bau tried to close the distance, but Vasir pushed him over the edge with her biotics. Bau flew over the edge, and landed on his back in the lower level of the building. He groaned in pain, but managed to evade the omni-blade used by Vasir. He pushed her over the edge, but she managed to catch a guard rail and somersaulted behind Bau. He kicked her in the torso and she staggered backwards, he then pulled out his smg and fired an entire thermal clip at the asari. Her biotic barriers managed to hold off the rounds, but Bau had once again closed the distance and was attempting to pummel her, but she blocked his attacks, grabbing his arms and kneeing him in the gut. She then lifted him up with her biotics and dangled the salarian over the edge She said, "It's a shame you got in the way."

"If you do this, you'll have to deal with Shepard."

"Oh, what makes you think that the Council wouldn't believe that Shepard went rogue and killed you?"

"They know better than that. Anderson would fight it, and there are also too many witnesses."

"A witness? Did that work with Saren?"

"They've learned since then. And how will they get past the fact that Shepard was on the moon when I die, should you go through with this? And, if you don't put me back on that building near where you are standing, then I'll send this message to the Council, telling them of your betrayal. If you let me go, then I'll not bother to tell them that you're a rogue operative."

"You don't have the cloaca to do that, Bau."

"You'd be surprised. I'm not letting you do this."

"I don't have time to bother with you, Bau." the asari said, releasing the biotic field holding Bau up. The salarian looked shocked for a second, then simply typed a message to the Council and sent it. Then, he closed his eyes, and waited for the inevitable end. However, that was when he landed on top of a skycar. He groaned, and said, "Can you get me to a hospital? I need medical attention."

The terrified asari driver nodded, and headed to a nearby hospital landing the skycar, she opened her car, and helped the injured Bau to the hospital. She said, "I don't know what happened, but he just landed on my car while I was driving home from work."

"What is your name, salarian?" the asari receptionist asked.

"Jondum Bau. Special... tactics and recon." he managed to say, before almost falling to the ground, only barely being caught by the asari.

The receptionist said, "We need all of the best doctors in the building. We have a council Spectre here. And he's in bad shape."

-=0=-

Jessica and Miranda just stared with shock at the compacted trash. There was fabric in it, flesh, and lots of blood. Tears flowed down Jessica's eyes as she thought of the cheerful master thief. She looked at the entrance to the base, and said, "We'll finish this mission for Kasumi. She gave her life so that it could be finished. And, we're going to make sure it wasn't in vain."

Miranda was shocked, there was no way they would be able to sneak through the building. She was shocked at what had happened to the poor master thief, and she was pissed. This was Cerberus's fault. _'When we next meet the Illusive Man, that bloody bastard is going to pay for this. Kasumi didn't deserve to die, especially not like this.'_

Jessica placed a hand on Miranda's shoulder and gave the former Cerberus a hug before turning to the trash shaft.

-=0=-

**A\N: Please review. You guys have been completely quiet for almost ten chapters. It's really disconcerting for you guys to be so very quiet. Thanks again for reading, but seriously, please review. I'm starting to think you guys have just given up on trying to get me to improve. I know that my stuff is far from perfect, probably some of the worst on the site, so please leave a review so I have some information to improve my writing.**

**Also, if any of you would like to, I am looking for a beta. So, if you want to do it, just let me know via PM. Sorry if this is a bad way of doing it, but I don't know the proper etiquette of getting a beta.**


	52. Chapter 51: The Hunt for the Storer 3

Liara was quietly sitting at her desk, examining footage from all over Illium, when one piece in particular caught her eye. There, just a few miles away from her current location was a battle going on between two Spectres. Liara watched it, fascinated by the way the asari and salarian fought. Then, when the asari stopped moving, she recognized it as Vasir. _'Damn. It would have to be the one Spectre in the Shadow Broker's pocket.'_ she thought, as she grabbed her pistol, flared her biotics for the first time in months, and exited the building, killing Nixeris on the way out. She then walked to her skycar, and headed to her apartment. She had to prepare if she was going to get to safety before Vasir found her. _'Where do I go now? The Citadel itself has too many rules for me to properly do my job as an information broker, but, Operative Von is there, he's trustworthy. Feeding me intel even after the coup pulled by that damned yagh. Maybe it's time to pull on my resources who know what happened then. But, on the Citadel Vasir would be perfectly safe in an attempt to kill me, so I have to go elsewhere? Omega? No, everyone runs to Omega. Vasir would check there first. Thessia? No, too many rules, and also fairly obvious. Maybe Aethyta will know more. Though, she did say that she couldn't spend much time with me, saying it might make people think that I was just someone who was posing as the Shadow Broker. Earth? No, I'd stick out there. Wait, there's a planet she wouldn't expect me to go. Virmire. I'll have to arrange so that my contacts send it to the database there in a way that would be too much of a hassle to track through conventional means.'_

-=0=-

Javik was looking closely at the little information Miranda had sent to the Normandy, and was surprised by the weapons that this Cerberus group was using. Why not just propel a small amount of material to the speed of light? It would do a considerable amount of damage. The prothean smirked as he thought of how they had resorted to such tactics when they were fighting the reapers in his time. Dozens of the capital ships had fallen to their ships flying into the Old Machines at ftl speeds. But, it had proven ineffective, as they lost a few troops every time that happened, and their numbers were already incredibly thin by that time. They'd spent years figuring out how to make ftl ships that didn't have the protective measures that the vehicles had always been built with.

After examining it for a few seconds more, the prothean asked, "Does Illium have any form of military?"  
Joker replied, "Nope, Prothy, they don't have that, because it would make them less competitive with the Terminus Systems. Military means soldiers, soldiers means a powerful government, a powerful government isn't good for business. A strong government might put regulations on trade that are 'too strict to make Illium capable of competing with the goods of the Terminus Systems which have no regulations'. At least, that's what the government said."  
The prothean nodded, then asked, "The synthetics of your time, the geth, why did they rebel?"  
"They started to become self aware, so the quarians decided it would be a good time to kill them off. Thought they might rebel if left alive."  
"Strange, the synthetics in my people's cycle did not behave as such. They understood why they had been created, that it was to serve, so they accepted it as their place in the galaxy."  
"Did you guys never have rogue VIs.

"They were very rare. Before the reapers arrived, we thought that we had found a way to keep the peace between organics and synthetics. When the reapers arrived, and destroyed our society, it shook the galaxy to its core. The other races were absolutely astonished that the Citadel was lost so easily."

"Did you ever board a reaper and kill it from within?"  
"It had been considered during the early stages of the war, but the risk of indoctrination was too high. We weren't willing to risk our best men to kill a single reaper. We believed we could kill them without such sacrifices. We were wrong."

"So, you'd endorse sending some of the best soldiers in the galaxy to their deaths in order to kill reapers from within?"  
"Yes, if you don't make sacrifices, the reapers will win. There is no way to survive a war against the reapers without sacrificing your honor."  
Joker just nodded, and made sure that the Normandy was ready to launch if need be.

-=0=-

Jessica walked down the tunnel, followed by Thane and Miranda._ 'Kasumi died for this. Why did I send her in? We should have just gone in and taken care of it on our own.__ Or, we should have looked for another way for her to go in.'_ The team walked silently down the trash tunnel, dodging the cubes of trash fired every now and then. When they reached the end of the tunnel, there was no one at the other end, which struck Jessica as odd.

As the team moved through the empty base, they saw a single Cerberus operative dash around a corner. Jessica motioned for Thane to follow the Operative, while she and Miranda went down the other path. Through the silent hallway the two women walked, not encountering a single living Cerberus Operative. There were a few dead bodies in the base, but nothing more than that.

They slowly walked through the base, scanning the area slowly, making sure that there was no Cerberus Operative in the base.

Then, after what seemed like hours, they reached the base's CIC. Inside, there were three Cerberus Operatives, each armed with a predator pistol. Jessica and Miranda ducked into cover while the three turned to investigate the door opening, Jessica prepped an arc grenade, and tossed another one to Miranda. The two waited there quietly for a few seconds, then tossed the grenades towards the Cerberus Operatives. As the grenades detonated, electricity coursed through the enemies. As they spasmed where they stood, Jessica hit one of them with a cryo blast, Miranda warped another, and then they finished those two off with rounds from their Carnifex pistols. Then, Jessica hit the third guy with an incineration blast, and Miranda shot him in the heart. As he collapsed, Jessica walked up to the terminal, and said, "Miri, make sure that no Cerberus Operatives get in. I'm going to be working on making sure those nukes can't be fired."  
"Be quick, we don't know how many mechs they've got here." Miranda said placing a biotic barricade on each of the entrances.

-=0=-

Meanwhile, Thane was running through the base, chasing the operative, when he saw that it was a wide-open area with the upper structure having plenty of space to move. The walls were smooth, so Thane typed a few commands into his omnitool, and the micro-fabricator created a small grappling hook and he used it to lift himself into the upper area. He followed the small Cerberus Operative, and watched as she walked past a pair of other Operatives. And then stabbed them with a pair of omni-blades.

_'Could it be? No.'_ Thane thought as he moved through the rafters. He then dropped down and followed the woman through the hallway. However, she had quit moving. She was just standing in the middle of the hall. She said, "I didn't notice that you were following me until that last room. You're really good Thane." She turned around, and there was a small line of ink below her lower lip.

The assassin said, "Kasumi, how are you alive?"

-=0=-

A few minutes ago.

As the trash compactor slammed around her, her shields flared up, and managed to hold it off for a single second, just long enough to get out of the compactor. Her cloak crashed, she stabbed one of the shocked Cerberus Operatives. She then dove towards another one, and stabbed him too. She then pulled out her pistol and fired on the last enemy in the room. The thief looked at her clothes, and saw that the back was really badly torn. She shook her head, and quickly stripped down to her underwear and took the uniform of the female Operative she'd shot. As she got it on, she shrugged, and put the female Operative into the trash compactor with her own clothes. She looked disgusted as the compactor slammed shut, and the girl was flung out in two different trash cubes.

She then walked out of the room, and had to kill two more guys. Then, she was in the clear, after hiding the corpses.

-=0=-

Jessica was typing on the console quickly, when Thane contacted them on her omni-tool. The drell said, "Shepard, how are things on your end?"  
"We've managed to take down the launch protocols for the nukes, now we're trying to get into the database to find where the thorian is. What about you? You catch the Cerberus Operative?"  
"It wasn't a Cerberus Operative, it was Kasumi."  
"What? We saw her crushed corpse."  
Kasumi popped up on the screen and said, "Actually, it was a Cerberus Operative who I'd had to kill."

"You could have contacted us once you fired that thing out."

"Sorry, Shep, I was maintaining radio silence so Cerberus didn't notice their base had been found. Though, I'd say our cover's probably been blown."  
"Probably, you guys should make sure that there isn't anyone else from Cerberus in the base."  
"Got it. We'll also make sure that the others know that the nukes aren't a threat." Kasumi said as she and Thane moved out.

"Good to see that Kasumi didn't die like we thought she had. But, I'm a bit surprised her shields managed to hold long enough for her to get out." Jessica said.

"Seems like that upgrade was worth the cost." Miranda said.

Jessica nodded, and went back to hacking into the Cerberus database. It was quiet for several more minutes, then four Cerberus Operatives walked up to the barricade, and detonated a bomb on it. With the barrier gone, they entered, but Jessica had already turned and pulled out her Mattock rifle. Three of the Operatives looked like they had just crapped themselves. The other one looked slightly worried, but was confident. He said, "Get away from the console."

"If you guys don't put your guns away, I'll kill you before you can fire them once."  
Three of them did as they were told, but the other asked, "What the hell are you doing? We can take her down!"

"Are you crazy? Remember what happened to all those bases she raided? Everyone died. What makes you think we have any more of a chance than those guys did?"  
"We've got better firepower, and she's alone." he replied.

Miranda then said from behind them with a pistol to the head of the still holding the gun, "Actually, she isn't alone."

The guy dropped his gun and said, "Alright, I surrender. What do you want, Shepard?"  
"What's the code to get into the database?"  
"We don't know, we were security maintenance, so we just made sure the mechs were working properly."

"So, you don't know anything about this facility, or what was going on?"  
"We know what was being worked on, but we don't have any access to the data."  
"So, what exactly were you guys working on?"  
"The scientists were studying a unique kind of life-form down on the planet. The scientists went there going in environment suits that had their own separate oxygen supply. They were worried it would take control of them like a reaper does."  
"The way the thorian controls its thralls is different from Indoctrination. Where is it?"  
"We were never told where it was. They seemed to be worried we'd just blow the thing up if we knew its location."  
"Why did you have so many nukes here?"  
"The Illusive Man was worried that we wouldn't be able to get what we needed from the storer before the reapers arrived."  
"What is TIM trying to get from the storer?"  
"I don't know. He doesn't tell anyone that. Except maybe for the new head of science division."

"I thought that all of the divisions had been put together into a single unit under the Illusive Man." Miranda said.  
"It was that way, but for some reason he brought in some rich guy as the head of R&D."

Jessica looked suspicious, and asked, "What was this rich guy's name?"  
"I don't know. They didn't share that information with me."  
"Then how did you even know about it?"  
"I overheard the scientists talking about it. Apparently he'd given them new orders on the ways to handle their research. Something to increase efficiency."  
"You didn't hear a single part of his name?" Miranda asked, suspicion clear in her voice.

"They just said that they thought that he had used his trillions to get into the position. That's all I heard."  
"Great. That reduces the number of people who could be in that position to about seven." Jessica said.

"Actually," Miranda said, "There are only six human trillionaires alive, and only two of them have Cerberus sympathies."  
"How do you know that, Miri?"  
"During my time in Cerberus I got into the habit of knowing who the richest humans in the galaxy were, and of those who had sympathies for Cerberus."  
"Who are the two rich bastards?"  
"One's my father, the other is a guy named Steve Harper."  
"Where is this Steve Harper?"  
"He lives on Elysium."

Then, the Cerberus guy said, "They said that it was a guy who lived on Arcturus, if that makes any difference."  
"That can't be right, neither of them live on Arcturus."  
"Just repeating what I heard."

Jessica cracked the security, quickly found the location of the thorian, and copied it into her omni-tool, before she connected EDI to the thing, and said, "Get as much data as you can out of this thing."

"I was beginning to think that you didn't trust me to do it." The AI said.  
"Just doing what I could to keep my skills sharp."

"Understood. You didn't hurt my feelings. I'll have the entire database copied in fifteen."  
"Good. Let us know what you find."  
"I will." the AI said.

Then, Jessica walked over to the guy, and she grabbed him by the edge of his armor. She then slammed him into the ground, and kicked him into the ceiling. When he hit the ground, she asked, "Who is the head of Cerberus R&D?"

"I don't know. I just overheard the conversation between the scientists, who your friends killed."  
"Quit lying."  
"I'm not." he said.

Jessica glared at him, her eyes just starting to turn red, and she growled, "You're a terrible liar. You look around rapidly every time you open your mouth. Also, you swallow every third word."  
"How the hell did you notice that?"  
"Alliance N7 Marines are more than just soldiers. We're trained in espionage, interrogation- part of which is being able to tell when someone is lying- and how to push the rules without breaking them. But, now that I'm a Spectre, I don't have any rules binding me. If you don't tell me what I want to know, I can torture you with no punishment."

Miranda placed a hand on Jessica's shoulder, and said, "You're letting it influence you. Just relax."

Jessica nodded, and did as Miranda suggested. Then she heard the Butcher say, _'That bitch! I almost had you giving in to me! I was so close to being free. Kill her.'_

_'No, Butcher. And shut the hell up.'_ Jessica thought back at it.

_'I am the only reason you're alive. The only reason that you draw breath, give in to me!'_

_'No, I'm alive because of Miri, not you.'_

_'You don't know what you're talking about, worm. Lazarus shouldn't have worked.'_

_'You're full of shit, Butcher. Why don't you go back into whatever black hole your reaper creators came from?'_

_'You know nothing of what you face, Shepard. Do you really believe you can defeat me? My kind have existed for millions of years. None of your kind have ever managed to tame us, I am beyond your understanding.'_

_'You're a side-effect of failure on the reapers' part. What makes you think that you can control me, when the reapers couldn't?'_

_'Because, I am more than just noise and conditioning. I am the darkness of your own heart. True, the reapers may have twisted me to be different from the darker impulses within you, but I am still a part of you. And, while there have been some who have been able to resist the Indoctrination from outside, none have resisted the Indoctrination from within.'_

_'I don't have time for you. So, shut up, I have someone to interrogate.'_

The Butcher was quiet for a while, then said, _'You will not hear words from me, Shepard, but I will never be truly silent. However, I want to see how you handle this interrogation, so I will leave you alone.'_

The guy was just staring at the way Jessica's eyes were flickering from red to their natural blue. Then, he said, "Alright, quit changing your eyes, the guy's Henry Lawson. I don't know why he took the job, but he did. He's made a lot of changes since he took over. That's all I know."  
Jessica nodded, and then said, "If you get out of here now, I will let you live."  
They nodded, and sprinted out, only to be shot by Kasumi and Thane as they got as they ran around the corner and saw the Cerberus Operatives.

Jessica nodded, and EDI said, "I have finished gathering the data."

"Good, We'll be heading down to the thorian's location once we get out of here."  
"There is another situation you should be aware of, Shepard." Samara said.

"What is it?"  
"I don't know the details, but apparently Bau got severely injured by an asari Spectre. He identified her as Tela Vasir."  
"How long will it take for him to make a full recovery?"  
"The doctors reported that it would take approximately twelve days for him to be able to work on the field."  
"Got it. We're heading out now. All of the security has been disabled, so you should be able to send in the shuttle now."  
"Got it." Joker said, "It should be showing up soon."  
"Good." the Commander said.  
Miranda asked, "Were you talking to the Butcher, after I stopped you from beating him?"  
"Yeah, how could you tell?"  
"Your eyes were flashing between red and blue. It looked really freaky. But, at least you were able to keep control over yourself."  
"Yeah, it only shut up because it wanted to see how I was going to handle the interrogation."  
Miranda just nodded, and when the team got into the shuttle back to the Normandy, she said, "Are you okay?"  
"It said that it would be influencing me, even when it was silent. That it was a form of Indoctrination. And, I don't know if I can hold it off forever."  
Miranda placed a hand on her shoulder, and said, "You'll be able to handle it. And, soon you should be free of that thing."  
"Yeah. EDI, how far is the thorian from Nos Astra?"  
"It is approximately three thousand miles from Nos Astra. It's in a remote area that hasn't had anyone living there for about a hundred years."  
"Good." Jessica said, "We'll pick up Samara and then go and find the thorian."  
"I will be in the cargo bay when you arrive on the Normandy." The Justicar replied.  
"Good, we'll also need to get some more equipment for this mission. I've got a feeling the Illusive Man wouldn't leave such a valuable asset unguarded."

"Understood, Shepard. Is there anything you'll need in particular?"  
"Kasumi could use a change of clothes." Shepard replied.

The thief said, "Hey, I like this stuff. It's comfy."

"Scratch that, she doesn't want one."

Samara said, "Understood, I'll have two boxes of thermal clips ready, as well as a box of grenades."  
Miranda added, "Could you also bring some energy bars?"

"Of course."

A few minutes later, the shuttle flew into the Normandy's open shuttle bay, and Samara tossed in the boxes of clips followed by the energy bars. Then, she pulled in the grenades, and the shuttle then reversed out of the Normandy, and set out for the thorian's location.

It seemed to take hours to head to the place where the plant was. Then, they were hit by an emp while moving towards the thorian's final location. The kodiac crashed into the forest, a few miles from the location of the storer.

Samara said, "I'll take point. We don't know what is out here."  
"Got it. Thane, you'll be guarding our left flank. Kasumi, you'll handle our six. Miri, you and I'll be handling the right side. Move out team."

"Understood." Samara said.

"Got it." The master thief cheerfully replied.

Thane and Miranda just nodded, and the team moved through the forest. Things were very quiet over the first few hundred meters. The team slowly walked through it, making sure that there was no ambush ahead of them. Then, as they slowly walked through the woods, Samara's foot sank through the ground. She stepped back, and said, "That's not the forest, it's just water."  
"What? I'll send a scanner down there." Jessica said.

As the small drone fell through the water, her omni-tool showed what it was seeing. It wasn't much, just water, then, a tendril came out and tried to hit the drone. Jessica managed to move it out of its way, but another one caught it. Then, as the drone struggled against what held it, they saw a sign that it was indeed part of the thorian. Because, swimming towards it was a thorian creeper. But, it seemed to be different than the ones on Feros. The drone turned towards the creeper, and the creature asked, "Why do you come here, human?"

"I need information." Jessica said, using a micro-speaker on the drone that was there to use it as a long range communicator.  
"I will not share any with you."  
"I thought you were made to share information."  
"We were created to store information, not to share it."

"When were you created? And by who?"  
"If you defeat the reapers, then perhaps I will tell you who made us."  
"Who made you? It's clear that it wasn't the reapers. They want to turn all organic life into more of them, not store information about them."  
"The reapers came after us, and were given a mandate to leave us be. Sovereign understood that the creators would be displeased if they destroyed us."  
"Who are the creators?"  
"You do not know them. And, I will not share my knowledge with you."

"Why not? We managed to find you."  
"That was mere luck. You should not have been able to find me, and if you did, you should not have been able to survive my traps."  
"Why do you not want to share info? The other one was fairly willing to tell us some of what it knew."  
"It has not seen countless civilizations come and try to use its knowledge to defeat the reapers. They all died, and did not win. They attempted to use the Citadel and the relays to destroy the reapers in one stroke, but they did not know what they were doing. It led to their demise because they relied solely on a single weapon, but they did not know how to activate it. The protheans attempted to use the device, but did not realize that to use it they would have to doom their empire, and all other species to come after them. Yours would follow into the end."  
"What weapon? The device to stun the reapers?"  
"I have no recollection of such a device. It was a weapon that destroyed the mass relays in order to release a massive amount of energy that damaged the reapers and all other synthetic lifeforms. But, they were unable to fire it. They were not able to assemble the technology needed to fire the weapon."

"We aren't interested in weapons to fight the reapers. We're here to learn about something else."  
"What?" The thorian asked.

"I need to know how to handle a Butcher."  
"You bear that burden?"  
"Yes, what do you know about handling it?"  
"That is not knowledge that can be shared through words. This is not a perfect way of communicating. If you want to learn how to make the Butcher not try and take you, I must have access to you so that I can place the knowledge directly within your mind."  
"Where are you?"  
"I am a hundred meters beyond your current location. Come there and I will begin the process of passing on the information."  
"Why the sudden change in position?"

"The Butcher is an abomination. An accident created by the reapers failure. While I will not help you fight the reapers themselves, I will help you fight this creation of theirs. For it is more dangerous to the people of your cycle than even the reapers."  
"Why is it more dangerous than the reapers?"  
"Because, it can control people who are not tainted with it."

"Well, I suppose we should get to work then, thorian." Jessica said.

Kasumi asked, "Are you completely insane, Shep? I seem to recall what you put in your report about what the thorian did to that asari, Shiala? It had her completely under its control!"  
"I know the risks, Kasumi." Jessica replied, "But I have to do this. I need to know how to take care of the Butcher."  
Miranda said, "You're sure you can trust it?"  
"No, but I don't have much of a choice. Miri, if I'm not out in an hour after I go in, I want you to kill it."

Miranda nodded, and they headed further into the forest. The holograms being made semi-solid by shielding. Then, they descended into the ground, and after what seemed to be hours, they reached the lair of the thorian.

It was the same as the other one, and there were a few creepers standing along each of the sides of the hallway to the thorian. One of them said, "You have arrived more quickly than expected."  
"How long should this information transfer take?"  
"The transfer will take two of your hours."  
"Great." Jessica said, "Miri, you know what to do."

"I'll make sure that you get out of that thing in two hours." Miranda said.  
Jessica nodded, and kissed Miranda, "For luck." she said, before walking up to the thorian. It reached down, and took her up into it.

-=0=-

Jack was meditating like Thane and Samara had told her to, when she heard her omni-tool beep, she looked down and saw that it was time to go to Kelly's office.

When the ex con got into the office, she plopped down on the chair she always took. Kelly then asked, "So, Jack, are you ready to talk about your time on Pragia?"  
Jack was quiet for a few minutes, then said, "When I first got there, I didn't know what was going on. I was dragged to my cell, and told that they'd be back later to bring me my food. They didn't show up until the next day. They were testing the effect hunger had on human biotics. They found that it didn't have too much of one. It didn't add to the endurance, so they quit doing that after about a month."  
"How did you feel during this time period?"  
"I was a little kid, I don't fucking remember how I felt."  
"Alright, please continue."  
"Well, after that, they started making me fight the other kids. Whenever I attacked, they put drugs in my system."  
"Do you still rely on drugs?"  
"I got past it, but I still get warm feelings when I fight."  
"I see. They conditioned you for combat."  
"Yeah, but I'm done talking about it. That shit's not even the worst of what they did."  
"I see. Is there any more detail you'd like to go into on it?"  
"No, I've said all I want to about it now."  
"Well, it is progress." Kelly said.

-=0=-

Tali and Lia were sitting in Kasumi's quarters, staring at the buildings of Nos Astra, then Tali said, "Let's go see what it's like in Nos Astra. There should be some changes in how things are due to the near-crisis on the moon."  
Lia said, "Alright. I haven't spent too much time off of the Normandy since you guys picked me up."  
Tali grabbed the other quarian's hand and walked out to the airlock. As they walked through the city of Nos Astra, Tali and Lia were looking at some merchandise, but then the asari shopkeeper said, "Why don't you quarians go back to your Migrant Fleet?"  
Tali replied, "We're working for Commander Shepard on the Normandy SR2."  
"Right. Why don't you quarians go away?"

Lia glared at the asari, which only made her glowing eyes appear to be just slits. She then said, "Tali was on the Citadel fighting the geth during the battle of the Citadel. She helped Shepard take down Saren. If it weren't for her, you might be dead."  
"Leave now. I don't have time to waste on you lazy quarians."  
Lia looked pissed, but Tali said, "Relax, Lia." She then turned to the asari, and said, "We'll be going now. But, you've just lost yourself a lot of business."  
"Yeah right. You quarians don't know anyone other than your own kind."  
Tali and Lia ignored her, and walked away. In Eternity, they saw Gianna Parasini, and Tali pulled out her pistol and aimed it at the human woman.

Parasini looked up, and ignored them, but Conrad Verner walked up to them and said, "Put that gun down!"

Tali looked at him and asked, "Who are you?"  
"I'm Commander Shepard's number one protegee. She taught me how to use a gun."  
"I seriously doubt Shepard did that. Who are you really?"  
"My name's Conrad Verner, maybe you've heard of me?"  
"Nope, Shepard never mentioned you either."  
"You've met Shepard too?"  
"Yes, I was with her when she was fighting through the Citadel to stop Saren."  
"Really? You were with her there?"  
"Yes, now would you please leave us alone?"  
"I can't let you do that?"  
"If you try to stop me, I'll beat you to the ground and you'll be handcuffed to that cell in under a minute. I've been working with Spectres for over a year's worth of time. Watching them fight has taught me a hell of a lot on how to fight close quarters."  
"Well, I was taught how to fight by Commander Shepard!"  
Tali shook her head, and said, "You're delusional."

Conrad looked at Tali closely and said, "I was hoping you'd be intimidated by me saying that Shepard taught me how to fight."  
"Well, having learned how to fight a bit from Shepard, you can't scare me with that." she replied.

Conrad lowered hanged his head, and walked away to order a drink.

Tali looked at the poor guy with pity, and she and Lia walked over to him and ordered a drink. Tali then said, "So, why are you out here, Conrad?"  
"Oh, you wouldn't want to know." he sadly replied as he downed the third shot he'd ordered since he'd gone back to his seat.

"If I didn't want to know, I'd not be asking." she replied.

"Well, after Shepard died I felt like there needed to be someone going throughout the galaxy righting wrongs like she had. My wife helped me get this N7 armor, and I went around for a while, and decided to start working more seriously here on Illium. But, I'm no good at this. I should probably head home."  
"Yeah, I'm sure your wife would like to see you after so long."

"You're right. I suppose that I'll be going home. Thanks for not being an asshole to me. Shepard pulled a gun on me when I first met her."  
"That sounds like what I'd heard she'd been like shortly before I met her."  
"What caused the change?"  
"She found an old 'friend' who she'd thought was dead for years. And, that was around the time of when she'd thought her friend had died."  
"Oh, so it wasn't personal."  
"Yeah. You should get home to your wife, Conrad." Tali said, as she and Lia left the bar.

Outside, Lia said, "I didn't expect you to try and cheer him up."  
"You saw how he was, it was pathetic."  
"Yeah, I guess you don't like it when you see that."  
"People shouldn't be in that kind of state. It just isn't right."  
Lia nodded, and the pair of quarians walked to the shopping district, and saw a dent in the ground. Tali asked an asari, "What caused that?"  
"It was this asari who was fighting a salarian. Shortly after she dropped him over the edge, she grabbed someone and slammed them into the ground, creating that."

"Why?" Lia asked.

"I don't know, but I feel sorry for the poor volus who had his suit rupture when he hit that."  
"Wait, that was done with a volus?"  
"Yeah, the rapid decrease in pressure caused him to explode."  
The quarians looked like they were going to be sick, so they just went back to the Normandy- mainly because they couldn't get a skycar to go somewhere else.

-=0=-

**A\N: So, the fifty-second chapter of Meus Mundus has been finished, and I'm nowhere near close to being done with the entire plot. Probably not even halfway through it. So you don't have to worry about this one ending anytie soon. Also, sorry for the longer wait, I've got a lot of stuff going on right now. But, I should be able to keep posting at least weekly. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you did and didn't like in this chapter, or earlier ones.**


	53. Chapter 52: The Knowledge of the Butcher

**Chapter 52: The Knowledge of the Butcher**

Jessica blinked, and saw that she was in the Alliance Academy, then, she saw someone step forward. She had crimson red hair that went down to her elbows. She turned around, and had sapphire blue eyes that showed great sorrow. The Commander said, "Why am I here, thorian?"  
The thorian appeared as Legion and said, "This is the first time you experienced the touch of the Butcher. This way you can see from outside the symptoms you have experienced as it tries to take you."  
Jessica nodded, and observed the scene that was setting out before her. Her younger self was walking through the hallway and a girl with fairly short blonde hair walked up and said, "Hey, looks like you finally got away from the cripple. Want to have some 'fun'?"  
The younger Shepard looked at the woman and said, "Not interested."  
"Oh come on. Afraid your little cripple will get hurt while you're enjoying yourself?"  
"No, I'm just not interested."

"Oh come on, I know you aren't straight, Jessica." the girl said, but was slapped by the woman who would one day save the galaxy.

Then, she said, "You have to earn the right to use my first name, until that happens you can call me Shepard."  
The girl rubbed her cheek and said, "I didn't think you'd be like people from the early twentieth century."  
"I'm not interested in you. So why don't you leave me alone?"  
"You should really relax. And, it would be a great way to relax." The girl suggestively said.  
Then, the girl was slammed into the wall by Jessica and she said, "I'm not fucking interested. And, if you don't let the topic drop, I will fling you out of the airlock during ship training."

The girl looked freaked out, and said, "Alright. Crazy bitch." before walking away.

The fully grown Shepard said, "That was the Butcher's influence?"  
"Yes, it starts out like that, but if it is not contained quickly, it grows to the point where you have to go to extremes to make it containable. This is one of those extremes."

"Alright, is there anything else coming up in this bit?"

"Yes, more influence by the Butcher." the thorian replied.

The two turned to watch the unfolding scene, as another girl showed up. She had short blue hair, and said, "Hey, you want to go to my quarters and spend the night having fun?"  
"No, go away."  
"Nah, I'd rather not." The girl said, placing a hand on the younger Jessica's ass. Then, the girl was slammed into a wall, hit with an overload, and Jessica grabbed the girl and threw her out of a nearby window. As the girl fell out of the window, the young Jessica jumped out the window and started beating the poor girl. Then, an instructor grabbed Jessica and pulled her away.

The fully grown version of Jessica watched, and noticed something about the way she looked. There was a faint aura of red dark energy around her as she beat the girl in the past.

The thorian said, "You noticed the red aura. That is good. It is the sign that the Butcher is using its power to control others than the one possessing it. It uses that ability to hold its victims still while it slowly and painfully kills them."

Jessica nodded, and observed as her younger self relaxed and the red aura vanished. She then asked, "Why did I need to see this?"  
"You needed to learn how it controls those it possesses. To make so that it cannot control you, you had to see it in action."  
"Got it, what else do I need to see?"  
"There is much more that you have to see. In order to save yourself from the Butcher, you have to truly understand it. Since it is a corruption of your darker side, you must learn to understand that, in order to change it to something closer to what it originally was.'

"Got it. What's next?"  
"A more recent event of its control over you."  
Jessica nodded, and the scene changed to the second mission Jessica had been on after entering the Alliance marines. She stared at what was happening. There was a squad of turian marines who had gone rogue and were hitting supply routes for human colonies in Citadel space. Captain Anderson said, "Alright marines. We just got a report that a group of turian vets from the First Contact War who have been trying to limit the extent which humanity can expend. They're trying to make so that we've only got colonies immediately through the Charon relay, but not through any others. At least that's what the reports would indicate from the few who managed to escape from these bastards."  
Jessica, a lieutenant at the time, asked, "How many are there?"  
"At least six. We're going to have to take this cautiously if we want to prevent losses. You, Alenko, and Talia will be taking the starboard side of their ship. Meanwhile, Johnson, Williamson, and I will take the port side. We'll meet up in the ship's bridge, and make sure that they don't get to attack any more supply ships. If we don't do this right, there's a good chance that the colony won't be able to sustain itself until the end of the year. If anyone makes a mistake, this entire thing could go to shit. So, be sure to do everything you were taught about this kind of mission in the Academy."  
The team nodded, and split up into the two smaller teams that would be hitting the rebels' ship. Time seemed to accelerate, and Jessica watched beside the thorian. As the team fought the rebels, the fighting was tough and the team was slow in making progress. Then, while a turian biotic pinned the team behind a wall, the younger Jessica pulled out her omni-tool and out came three attack drones that fired two rockets each. This managed to stun the biotic and the others managed to fire on the turians and as the rounds flew into the turians, their bodies were torn up quite a bit, and then the team moved through the base.

-=0=-

Miranda looked at the plant, and wondered what it was showing Jessica. However, while she was thinking, a creeper walked up to her from behind, and asked, "What is bothering you?"

Instinct kicked in for the former Cerberus Operative and she flared her biotics and lifted the creature into the air. While the creature frantically struggled against the biotic force Miranda used her powers to slam it into the ground. The creature exploded, and the other creatures turned to look at Miranda. She replied, "Sorry, instinct."  
They nodded and said, "We should have been more cautious."  
Miranda looked around and asked, "What are you telling her?"

"It is not a thing that we could use words to describe properly. It is knowledge that one must see to truly acquire."  
Samara asked, "What were you before you became a thorian?"  
"I was always this way."  
"How long have you been here?"  
"Approximately 1.1 billion years."

"You've managed to survive a long time. How long after you were created were the reapers?"  
"I will not share that knowledge. I have already told you too much."  
Samara nodded, and walked towards the edge of the area. She looked at the chasm, at the bottom of which there were several corpses, wearing Cerberus colors. Kasumi looked at it too and said, "Well, we can be sure that this thing doesn't like Cerberus."  
"It attempted to steal my knowledge. I had to destroy them."  
"How did they get to you?"  
"They wore suits to protect them from my spores, and came armed with pistols. They killed many of my children, so I had to destroy them myself."

"You view your thralls as children?"  
"It is not something you need to know."

Thane was simply meditating, when a group of mechs walked in, and out came a communication drone. It made a hologram of the Illusive Man and he asked, "Miranda, why are you here?"  
"That's none of your business." she replied.

"When you kill my people, take out one of my bases, and start meddling with my Projects, that makes it my business. And do you really think that I couldn't find your sister and give her to your father?"  
"What do you want, TIM?"  
"First of all, quit calling me that. Second, I want Shepard."  
"I'm not going to give you her. You should know better than to think that I would even consider it."  
"I thought you were loyal to Cerberus, Miranda."  
"I'm loyal to the idea of advancing humanity, but that's not what Cerberus is about anymore."  
"Cerberus is still focused on the betterment of our race, but we have to go down darker paths in order to find knowledge that could help our species."

"If you're looking for information, why do you want Jessica?"  
"That information is classified. Miranda, know that if you give me Shepard, your father will never see Oriana."  
"You think I'd give up Jessica to ensure Oriana's safety? What kind of monster do you think I am?"  
"The kind of monster who killed a girl's parents and sent her to Pragia."  
"That was on _your _orders, and I couldn't voice my disagreements with it because I was too new. And, you can ask Operative Demolisher what I thought about that mission."  
"Demolisher died during the Battle of the Citadel. She'd been posted on an Alliance vessel that Sovereign destroyed."  
Miranda nodded, and said, "You know I won't hand over Jessica, so why don't you leave us alone?"  
"I will get Shepard, with or without your consent, Miranda. I just thought you would want to know that you could have your sister safe from your father if you helped me."  
"Why are you so determined to get her back? You weren't worried about the risk of losing a four billion credit investment, so it has to be something else? What is it?"

The Illusive Man took a long draw on his cigarette and said, "Shepard is the Catalyst of the perfection of humanity. Locked in her head is information that could give us control of the reapers. With that, there would be no one who could resist the will of humanity."  
"We have to destroy the reapers. If we don't, they'll destroy us."  
"The reapers are a treasure trove of information, Miranda, do you really want to lose all of that knowledge? The knowledge of a hundred million civilizations that came before ours?"  
"If it means saving ours, yes."  
"Then I have no choice. I'm sorry, Miranda. I didn't want it to come to this. I hoped that you would see reason."  
"What you were suggesting was madness, not reason."  
"Just as alien life was called madness for centuries before we discovered the prothean archives on mars." TIM replied as his hologram vanished.

The mechs powered up their weapons and opened fire not on the ground team, but on the thorian. Samara reaved a pair of them, and Miranda threw an arc grenade at them. Thane, meanwhile, fired his sniper rifle at the group of machinery. But, the combined attacks had little effect on the machinery. Meanwhile, the thorian's thralls jumped on them. Miranda looked at it, and Kasumi decloaked and stabbed one of the mechs with an omni-blade. It collapsed, but the others turned and fired on Kasumi taking down her shields. She leapt away, managing to take cover behind a tree. However, the fire from the mechs' weapons were rapidly tearing it apart.

Thane shouted, "Get back, I don't know how powerful this thing is going to be!"  
The others didn't even nod, but instead sprinted away from the mechs as the expert assassin threw the grenade. When it reached the mechs, it split into five, and detonated in a storm of electricity, disabling all of the mechs. Thane stumbled backwards, and the others fired on the mechs, quickly eliminating them now that they didn't have shields.

They panted, and Miranda said, "Good thing you had that grenade, Thane."  
"Yes, but what did the Illusive Man mean when he said that Shepard was the Catalyst for controlling the reapers?"  
"I don't know, but it's clear that he's gone completely insane." Miranda said, looking at the wrecked mechs.

-=0=-

Jessica simply stood still, the Butcher itself had manifested before them. Anderson was trying to pin her to the ground, but her younger self simply threw him off. Then, as she grabbed the turian bandit, it looked like the alien would need a change of pants if he survived. Her eyes were the same, but there was such rage in them that you'd think that he'd killed her entire family. Which he almost had. He'd been involved with the attack on Mindoir. The young Shepard slammed him into the ground and pulled out her shotgun. She fired three rounds from it, and the turian's entire mid-section was turned to a bloody pulp.

The Commander then asked, "It rises up when the painful moments of my past are brought up. But, only if I haven't accepted that it was done."  
"Yes, you are a fast learner." the thorian in geth form replied.

Then, the scene changed, and they were on Akuze. She smirked, and said, "Figures that it would be here as well."  
"It has always been influencing you. Ever since that day in the Academy when it was woken up by that girl."  
"I see." she replied, watching as she was laughing with her squad. One of the guys was talking about how once the mission was over he was going to retire and start a bar on earth. He said that he'd always wanted to do it, but he just didn't have the money. Now that he had spent the last twenty-five years of his life in the military with almost no expenses he'd saved up quite the fortune, and was going to use it to make sure that nay Alliance soldiers on earth had a place they could go to get free food and beer.

The young Jessica, only just promoted to Lieutenant Commander, said, "Yeah right. You wouldn't give anyone a beer for free."  
He grinned and said, "Well, I'd be tempted to get a pretty woman like yourself a drink, but I know you aren't interested in anyone. I remember the time Matsuo tried to get you to relax. How far did you throw her?"  
"Six meters."  
"That's really far to throw someone wearing full body armor. How'd you do it?"  
"I don't know, I blacked out just after I threw her."  
"You were pretty solid on your feet for someone who was passed out." a girl replied.

"I didn't know that anything happened after I threw her until I was told that she'd had to spend the next three weeks in medical to recover. It had me as shocked as anyone."  
"Yeah, you shouldn't have done that. She kept crying for weeks after you did that."  
The younger Jessica hung her head and said, "I didn't mean to do it. I don't even remember doing it."  
"Yeah, but you beating your old friend Matsuo isn't the weirdest thing, they said that you practically threw Admiral Hackett through the window after he pulled you away from her."  
The Commander looked horrified, and asked, "Did I really almost throw Admiral Hackett?"  
"Yeah, but he was pretty relaxed about it. Most people would probably have had you dishonorably discharged for it."  
Before Jessica could respond, the ground shook, and she a massive thresher maw burst out of the ground. The team opened fire and said, "You have to get the hell out of here, ma'am."  
"I'm not leaving you here!" she replied, pulling out her assault rifle and firing on the threshers.

A sergeant said, "You need to leave. Command would be pissed if they lost their latest N7. So, get the hell out of here."  
Jessica looked for a moment, then said, "Alright, but you guys better run too."  
"We'll do that once you're out of here, ma'am."

She nodded, and sprinted away from the threshers. She sprinted between a pair of the massive creatures, and just before she managed to get over a pile of rock, and to safety, she was hit by acid from two thresher maws. It burned through her armor, and she tried throwing medigel on it, but it didn't have much effect on the wounds. She slowly crawled for a while, before collapsing. What seemed like hours passed, and a group of batarians found her. They grabbed her but before they could take her to their base, the Butcher took over and killed them.

Time seemed to crawl for the N7 marine as she waited for the others to show up. Then, when she was picked up by the Alliance she asked, "What happened to my men?"  
Anderson, who had been leading the recovery team, said, "I'm sorry, Jessica, but they didn't make it."  
"None of them?"  
"You're the sole survivor of this mission." he said, "It looks like you've got your father's luck."

She didn't respond, but instead just sat there and cried. It was like that for a good while, but she finally said, "Everyone who gets close to me ends up dead. First Miri, then Dad, Sarah, and Cynthia, and now my entire team."  
Anderson said, "It wasn't your fault, Jessica. You did what you should have in that situation."  
"I left them to die!"  
"Yes, but you survived. That's what's important. They knew that you'd have a crucial role to play in the future, so they were gave their lives to make sure that the galaxy didn't lose you."  
"The first mission I lead ends up a disaster, I'm probably going to get discharged for this."

"This was an event that no one, not even you, could have seen coming." Anderson said.

Meanwhile, the present Commander said, "It's not there at all? Why?"  
"It will become clear in a few moments."  
"It better." Jessica replied.

-=0=-

Shiala was sitting on the couch in Qael and Rana's apartment. She was clenching her head, and she said, "It's on Illium. The other thorian."  
"Why is it affecting you now?" Rana inquired.  
"I don't know, but I should leave the planet. But, Zhu's Hope still needs a new contract if it's going to still be a free colony."  
Qael said, "The Shadow Broker may know where the thorian is."  
"I doubt it. The thorian is a cautious entity. It had to be find by something other than the Shadow Broker. We'll never find..." Shialla began, but collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. Qael and Rana went to check on her, but then her biotics flared and she sent them flying away. She the said, with a voice far different from her normal one, "I must go to the Old Growth."  
"What are you talking about, you don't know where it is!" Qael interjected.  
"I can feel its call. I will be able to reach it, but you cannot!"  
"Why, Shialla?" Rana asked.

She did not respond, instead she left the room, and headed to a place to get a skycar. However, she was slammed into a wall by Vasir, who said, "You're going to help me, Shialla."  
"Never." the possessed asari growled.

"Don't be a fool."  
Shialla didn't respond, but instead tackled Vasir, sending them into the railing. The Spectre grunted, and was lifted into the air in a flurry of biotics that were more powerful than she'd seen before. Soon, she was wrapped up in something that could only be described as a cocoon of dark energy. Vasir struggled but Shialla ignored her. She ran to a skycar, and started driving through traffic, desperately trying to get out of it so that she could reach the thorian.

-=0=-

Tali and Lia were standing at the airlock to the Normandy, when Tali got a transmission from Qael. She opened it and asked, "What's the matter?"  
Qael replied, "You know Shiala?"  
"Yeah, the asari who Saren used to get the Cipher from the thorian on Feros."  
"Well, she's gone off to find a thorian that's here on Illium. I don't know why, or what's going on. I figured you would be the best person to contact."  
"Well, Shepard's at the thorian currently, along with a four members of the ground team, so she won't be able to do anything stupid."  
"Tali, what if she's going there to help the thorian kill them? What if that's why it is calling on her. Demanding that everyone with its spores in them come and protect it!"  
"Shepard wasn't interested in killing the thorian, so it couldn't be them."  
"Why wasn't she interested in killing it?"

Tali looked uncomfortable, then said, "You can't tell anyone else this, but she's been having a bit of a mental breakdown. Hell, shortly after we took back the Alarei she dumped Miranda."  
"I don't need the details, Tali. I just need your help to make sure that we don't lose anyone. Can you tell us where the thorian is?"  
"Yes, but I have one condition for telling you."  
"What?"  
"You take me with you."  
"Deal. We can't let Shialla do anything now."

"Alright, come to the Normandy, I'll be ready when you show up."  
"Understood, ma'am." he said.  
"I'm not your boss, Qael."  
"Hey, because of you, my exile was removed."  
"You helped us on the Alarei, so it was just to pay you back for saving our lives a couple of times."  
He nodded and ended the transmission. Tali and Lia entered the Normandy, and went to the armory. When Tali had finished gearing up, she said to Lia, "Do me a favor and stay on the Normandy while I'm gone. It looks like things are getting serious here."  
Lia nodded, and said, "I'll be sure to stay out of danger. I'm not much of a soldier."  
Tali laughed, and said, "If you wanted to kill someone, chances are you'd find a way to do it. You may not be trained, but you're smart enough to find a way to get the job done."

Lia said, "I wouldn't be able to bring myself to kill anything."

"And that's one thing I like about you." Tali said as she headed to the airlock. A few minutes later, Qael walked up and said, "We're here, tell us where to go to get to the thorian."  
"Let me drive. I'll take you there."  
"Got it, ma'am." Qael said.

-=0=-

Jessica stared at what was before her. Torfan, the world where she had destroyed an entire batarian regiment without any help. The one place where she'd taken command from another. Here it was, the place she viewed as her greatest failure. The biggest mistake she had ever made in her life. She closed her eyes, and said, "Where am I?"  
"This way." The thorian replied, guiding her to where the battle was. The batarians were all chained, and the Butcher was looking at them with contempt. Then, it pulled out a shotgun and an assault rifle and opened fire on them. It lasted for minutes, just killing the prisoners. Then, at the last one, the Butcher put its weapons away, and stared him in the eye for minutes, but the thorian accelerated it so that it lasted only a few seconds. Then, it grabbed the batarian by its throat and asked, "Who is your leader?"  
"Ba-Balak. He gave the order to take your people."  
"Good. Where is this Balak?"  
"He is on Khar Shan, you will never get to him, human."

"He'll leave Khar Shan eventually. But, it will be too late for you to catch him! The Hegemony will make your people pay for this."  
They can try. Maybe they'll succeed. It doesn't matter. You worms will soon all be dead."  
"What are you talking about?" the batarian asked.

"Soon the reapers will return, and then the Harvest can begin once again." the Butcher said as she clenched the batarian's throat, strangling the life from him.  
Jessica then said, "It has a connection to the reapers?"  
"Yes, it does. And, now is the time for the final memory that you must experience. Then, you must free yourself from the Butcher's taint."  
"Good." Jessica said, as the scene changed, this time it was the Citadel. Shortly before they went to Chora's Den to find out where Tali was.

The pre-Spectre Jessica walked up to Wrex and asked, "Are you Urdnot Wrex?"  
"Yeah, who are you, human?" The krogan warlord asked.  
"Commander Shepard, Alliance Marines. I'm going after Fist, and I figured I could use your help. Since you want to kill him too."  
"I'll help you kill Fist, but you won't get a cut of the credits."  
"I'm not in it for the money. He has information I need in order to prove a Spectre has gone rogue and attacked a human colony."

"That's a pretty serious crime. I'll meet you in Chora's Den."  
"We can go there together, Wrex. We may need your help getting in."  
The krogan said, "I said I'd meet you there, so that's how we'll be doing it that way, Shepard."  
Jessica grabbed him and growled, "Listen, Wrex, I don't have time to argue with you. You'll either go with me to Chora's Den, or you won't get a chance to kill Fist. You'll be left dangling from the front of my ship as a sign to anyone else who would try to do things their own way with me."

The krogan looked surprised, then laughed and said, "I like you human. You've got more nerve than most of your kind."  
"Most humans don't have reason to be the way I am." she said, with sadness clear in her eyes.

Wrex just nodded, and followed Shepard through the Citadel to Chora's Den. Before she, Garrus, and Wrex entered the bar she said, "Wrex, you'll take the left side, Garrus, you've got the right. I'll be going down the center."  
"That's suicide, Shepard." the turian replied.

"I know."  
"Why are you trying to die? You've still got a lot to live for."  
Shepard laughed and said, "The only reason for me to live beyond work died years before Mindoir."

The turian asked, "What are you talking about, Shepard?"  
"It isn't something you need to know, Garrus."  
"If you think that your life isn't worth living, you need to talk to someone."  
"There isn't anyone for me to 'talk' with. I have superiors, and subordinates. That's all."  
"You weren't like that yesterday, Shepard. What's with you today?"  
"It's the anniversary of me losing everything. Twice on this day I lost those closest to me." She growled, and then opened the door. Garrus couldn't continue arguing, because Fist's security had opened fire, and they had to run to cover. Except for Shepard, who simply walked in, firing on the guards. One fell to her attacks before her shields fell, and the armor barely held off the attacks of the various guards.

Wrex saw that Shepard was going to get killed soon, so he got out of cover, biotically charged a guard, and slammed him into the wall. Then, he headbutted another one so hard that the man's neck snapped in two, and a jagged cut was left on his face. Then, he fired on a third with his shotgun.

Garrus, meanwhile, had sniped two of the guards, and when he fired on the third, shouted, "Boom! Headshot!"  
Shepard looked at him with a confused look, and then just glanced down at her armor and said, "Garrus, you still have that thing of ghost armor?"  
"Yeah, why?"  
"I need some new armor. This thing is useless now. The shield generator was hit by one of those assholes."  
"I'll get it out." The turian said, pulling out his omnitool, and opened up the storage unit. Out came the armor, and he said, "Here." handing it to the depressed Commander. She quickly stripped down, causing Garrus to just stare at her. Even through the series of scars along her body, she was an attractive member of the human race. She noticed and said, "Quit staring, it's rude."

The turian nodded, and looked away, looking slightly embarrassed. They then went around the circular room to the second hallway, but the scene had ended.

Jessica said, "It was amplifying the pain I felt from the deaths of Miri and the colonists on Mindoir. That day was always hard, but it wasn't as hard as that one. I hadn't just completely shut down before."  
"Yes, it was making your sorrow and pain greater, hoping to push you to your end. The reapers see you as a threat, and so they had it try to destroy you through sorrow. It grew stronger as the years went on and you realized that you wouldn't find anyone who you would ever feel anything like what you'd felt for your old lover. The Butcher amplified those feelings, and tried to push you into submission. But, you saw a glimpse of Lawson in the bar as you left. You didn't think anything of it at the time- thought it was just a hallucination-, but subconsciously you knew it was her. That gave you a glimmer of hope, enough to push back the foul influence of the Butcher."

"I don't remember catching a glimpse of her in Chora's Den."  
"It was for but a second." The thorian said, and the scene switched to when they were leaving, and sure enough, Shepard caught a glimpse of Miranda leaving the bar. A perplexed look crossed her face, and then she just shook it off and walked out. When they arrived, Miranda had already cloaked, so Shepard didn't see her.

"So, I did see her. Why did I have to see the effects of the Butcher to learn about it? Why couldn't you have just told me?"  
"You would have had the information, but you would not truly _understand_ it. The understanding will be key in the next step of freeing you from the Butcher, though it cannot be destroyed."  
"Then how can I free myself of it?" Jessica asked, worry clear in her voice.

"You will change it into something that is not a servant of the reapers. You will shatter that part of it, and replace it with something pure. Your memories of the lost. To free yourself from the Butcher, you will have to fight not for yourself, or for your family. You will have to fight for the lost. Those who it can force to do its bidding. Are you ready to tame the Butcher?"  
"I've had enough of it. Let's do this thing." Jessica said.

-=0=-

**A\N: Chapter 52: The Knowledge of the Butcher is finally complete! And boy was this one hard to write. I had a lot of trouble writing Jessica as someone who was broken down and was suicidal. It took me a few tries to truly get it down. Next chapter, The Taming of the Butcher should be up sometime later this week or early next week. So until next time, thank you for reading, and please leave a review. Those inspire me to write the chapters faster, and the silence from you guys makes me nervous. And, I was really hoping that you guys would point out what I'm doing wrong, or could use improvement. Because I know I'm not as good as is possible. I know that I have not reached Tolkien's level, or Robert Jordan's level. I know that you could say that they were a talent that only appears once every few generations, but I want to be the best that I can possibly be, and your feedback helps me grow as a writer. And, it may sound cocky, but I think that, with your help, I could get to their level. Or at least a hell of a lot closer, so please review so that this stuff can get way better. Until next time, thanks for reading.**


	54. Chapter 53: Taming the Butcher

**Chapter 53: Taming the Butcher.**

Miranda looked at the thorian, which had suddenly changed. Instead of how it had appeared before it was glowing blue with dark energy, and it had become less oval, and was now more of a rectangle. The gentle curves had turned into sharp edges. Samara asked, "What's going on?"

The creeper said, "The final stage has initiated. I cannot speak now. I must focus here and now."

Miranda nodded, and sat down at the edge of the area. A few moments later, Shialla walked in and said, "I have returned, my liege."

Samara looked at her and said, "Who are you?"  
Shialla ignored her, but Miranda said, "Her name's Shialla. She worked with Saren until he gave her to the thorian so that he could get the Cypher."

The Justicar nodded, and observed the younger asari as she knelt before the thorian. Minutes passed, and the thorian simply remained still, and the dark energy field began to expand. Miranda checked the timer and said, "There are ten minutes left. Let's hope this thing was accurate in its estimate."  
Thane said, "What if it was wrong?"  
"We'll give it five minutes past the original planned time, then if she isn't released, we'll pull her out."

"Got it." Thane replied.

-=0=-

Meanwhile, inside the thorian. Jessica looked around, and saw that the thorian had returned to its actual appearance. It said, "The Butcher will arrive soon. It knows we are here."  
"I've just got to get the upper hand in the fight. You know what to do."  
"Yes." The thorian said, as it left.

After the thorian left, there seemed to be hours of waiting for the Butcher to arrive, but in fact was only a few seconds. As it walked up, Jessica tensed up and prepared to fight it with dark energy, when it asked, "Why are you here?"  
"To make so that you aren't a threat to those around me."  
"I see, you think that you can tame me?"  
"Yes, but I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time."  
The Butcher laughed and said, "You lack confidence, that is good. Before you were so sure of yourself. So proud of your abilities that you failed to see my power. Now, we can fight for real." It said as it wrapped itself up in dark energy.

Jessica grinned, and called upon dark energy herself. They then stood perfectly still, waiting for the other to act. As they glared at each other, the atmosphere itself seemed to be holding completely still, waiting for the two to clash. Minutes passed, and neither moved. Then, the Butcher slowly began to walk sideways, always looking at Jessica. The Commander moved in the opposite direction of the Butcher, her sapphire eyes staring right into the red ones of the monster before her.

Then, as the tension in the air reached a breaking point, the Butcher fired a flurry of dark energy at Jessica. The many flows of it converged on the Commander, but were evaded by the veteran warrior. The Butcher snarled in frustration, and attacked again. This time, Jessica blocked it, if only barely. As she tried to hold off the attack, she felt the stress it was putting on her 'body'. She knew she couldn't hold it up for much longer, so instead of maintaining her protection, she leaped backwards, and used the energy she'd been using to block the Butcher's attack to instead attempt to wound her foe.

The Butcher evaded it with ease, and responded with a tornado of dark energy. Jessica smirked, and hit the tornado with one of her own that had an opposite flow. The two vanished on collision, fading into nothing.

"You have learned quickly. I am impressed." the Butcher said.  
"I've been focusing on learning to control the flows better. That way I can beat you." she replied, as she stood still waiting for the next strike from the Butcher. Moments passed, and no attack came. That was what troubled Jessica. She stared into the eyes of her foe, and saw that there was nothing in them. Before, the Butcher had great rage in her eyes. Now, nothing. It troubled Jessica greatly, then she realized what was happening. The Butcher had left a fake image of itself where it had been standing, and she'd missed its movement. She scanned the area, but she knew that it wasn't anywhere she looked. Then, inexplicably, she knew that it was right behind her, and about to strike. She ducked, evading the blade of the Butcher. She replied by kicking it in the gut, and sending dozens of blades of dark energy at the butcher.

It deflected them all and stabbed Jessica in the abdomen. The Commander smirked, and said, "Got you!" before she burned the Butcher's face with dark flames. It stumbled backwards, and the sword vanished from Jessica's abdomen. She grinned, and approached the Butcher again. This time with a storm of dark energy behind her. Then she 'threw' it at the entity before her. However, the Butcher simply swatted it aside and said, "In here, I rule! In this place, I am a god!"  
Then, a pair of reapers appeared, and fired their main weapons at Jessica. Then, just before they connected, she vanished, and landed on the platform before the thorian.

Miranda asked, "Did you get rid of it?"  
"I was fighting the Butcher when I was dropped out. What were you doing?"

"Two hours had passed, you had to be released. That was our deal."  
"I wasn't done."  
"You were about to lose. It is too great for you to defeat with your current powers. You must learn more before you can combat it."  
"You have to let me fight it now. I need to be free of it before I move on with my mission."  
"There is nothing you can do to defeat it. It's powers are too great for any human to defeat."  
Jessica glared at the ancient plant and said, "You will let me fight the Butcher again, now."  
"You cannot defeat it. I will not allow you to lose to it. Then you would be a monster far worse than any you now know."

"There has to be a way for me to beat it."  
"Your powers are not sufficient to defeat the Butcher." the thorian said, as Tali, Qael, and Rana showed up.

The thorian then noticed Shialla, and she began to writhe in pain for a moment, then a slightly moist pulp began to flow from her mouth. When it had quit doing so, the asari's skin tone had restored to its natural blue, and she looked confused.

"What did you do?"  
"I removed the other one's spores from her. She would not be of use. Asari never have been."  
"You're talking like you've encountered asari before our cycle." Jessica said.

The thorian shook its 'head' and said, "I suppose there is no way to avoid telling you this now, human. But, the reapers are not as infallible as they would have you think."  
"We already know that." Miranda said.

"It is more than you think. Throughout the great multitude of cycles, they eventually came across a problem. They had eradicated all organic life in the galaxy. It would take billions of years for new life to evolve and advance. They did not like that concept. So, they used information in some of them to recreate an early evolutionary parent of the races they held, then they modified it to ensure that it would evolve the same way, but at a rapid rate. The newly 'planted' races would grow into what they had been before in a few short generations. Though, in some cases it did not work as well as others."  
The Commander nodded, and asked, "Who originally created the reapers?"  
"You need not know that."

Jessica sighed, and said, "Fine."

Tali then asked, "Is it done? Are you back to normal?"  
"Not quite." Jessica said.  
Tali nodded, and Qael and Rana helped Shialla to her feet. Then, as Jessica watched it she noticed something about Qael. His right arm was glowing red. "SHIT!" the Commander said and she tackled Qael. She looked him in the eye and said, "You're very clever, Butcher. You hid yourself well, but you should let those two go now."

It smirked and said, "Not while one of us is strong within you." and flung Jessica into the body o f the thorian. Rana looked confused, and ran up to the possessed quarian. It grabbed her and said, "I never did like you. You were simply one who was easy to manipulate.

Jessica asked, "How long?"  
"Since long before you met me. It was difficult to maintain the ruse, but I had to aid my fellow Butcher."

"And that's why you helped Saren. But why did you turn against him?"  
"Because Harbinger commanded it. He saw that Saren and Sovereign would not succeed, so he commanded me to help you. So as to ensure that I could amplify the Butcher within you through interaction. Why do you think Nihlus's barriers were so strong? Through Sovereign's intervention? No, it was my doing."

"You were clever Butcher, but you got sloppy. The red glow gave you away."

"Yes, but only you would notice, and I thought you were preoccupied."

"Not the case." Jessica said, as she overloaded the Butcher Qael. It fell to the ground, and before it could act, the Commander fired three rounds into its head. Rana then flared her biotics and tried to attack the Commander. Tears flowed down the asari scientist's eyes as she looked at the lifeless body of the quarian. Jessica didn't try to block or evade the blows, but instead took them. As the blows struck her, pain wracked her body and the Butcher tried to rise up. But, Jessica pushed it down.

Then, Rana's biotics faded away, and she simply sat down by Qael's corpse and cried. Jessica closed her eyes and turned to the thorian. Then, she said, "I'm ready to face the Butcher. It will not be victorious."  
The thorian observed, and said, "Yes, you are different now. You can face it, and perhaps you will win."  
"I'll beat it." Jessica said as she stepped up to the thorian. It took her up once more, and she stood before the Butcher again. It looked at her, and said, "You are different now."  
"This has to end here, Butcher." she replied, and her eyes turned to the same shade of red as the Butchers. They stood facing each other, power flowing through them in amounts that would break the minds and bodies of lesser warriors. The sky seemed to tremble from the amount of energy the two held. Jessica stared at the Butcher as a single blade appeared in her hand. The Butcher did the same, and they paced around each other. Minutes passed, and then the Butcher charged. Jessica deflected it, and slammed the Butcher into a wall. It looked at her and realized, "You've seen something that has given you might."  
"Yeah, I've seen what your kind do to those you conquer. I've seen the effect it has on those that love them. I won't let you take me and do that to my friends and loved ones. But, I've seen that the only way to beat you is to embrace your power. To take what you are, and make it mine." Jessica growled, as she charged the Butcher, which turned to flee. It sent reapers after her, but she simply dismissed them as false, and their attacks did not affect her. As she chased the Butcher, she saw those it had enslaved begin to appear again. She smirked, and fired created the Normandy SR2 and had it fire its Thanix cannons at the Butcher. But, the Butcher blocked it and suddenly sent Jessica flying. It rose into the air, and said, "You will never defeat me! HERE I AM YOUR GOD!"  
Then, Jessica replied, "Non habeo deus, Lanium." before she charged through the power that the Butcher had summoned. The Butcher smirked and said, "Vestra sum exterminatore." as it sent attack after attack at Jessica. Each one blocked by the thoughts of the Commander. When she reached the Butcher, she said, "Hoc est meum mundo intus. Hic vos nihil sunt."

Fear filled the Butcher's eyes as it realized what was about to happen. Jessica slammed her blade into it, and it was held in place by chains that the blade became. The memories controlled by the Butcher gathered, and Jessica nodded at them. First her team on Akuze, then the colonists on Mindoir, then the crew of the SR1 who had been lost when the Collectors attacked, and then Matsuo entered the Butcher, changing it. The memory of her father said, "I'm proud of you, Jessica. And, do not mourn us any more. We had a good life, but that time is over."

Tears filled Jessica's eyes, and she hugged him. She said, "I miss you, dad."

He smiled and said, "I know you do. But I'm dead. However, it's still my job as your father to protect you from anyone or anything that would hurt you. And, I'll always be with you. Even though this 'body' will be gone. I love you Jessica, no matter what you do or how much you outshine me, you'll always be my little girl."

"Bye, dad. I'll see you one day."  
"I know, but live a full life until then." he said as he flowed into the Butcher.

Sarah and Cynthia's memories ran up to Jessica and hugged her. They said, "Don't worry, Jessie. We may be dead, but we'll still help you however we can. Whether that be trying to hook you up with someone or making so that a monster in your mind is gone. And don't cry, that isn't very becoming of the Savior of the Citadel."  
Jessica hugged them and said, "I'm so sorry that I didn't save you two. I should have helped you get away from the batarians."

Sarah said, "There was nothing you could do, Jessie. So, don't worry about it, just make sure that you don't die before your time. Live enough for all three of us."

"I'll try." Jessica said, openly crying as they entered the Butcher changing it even further.

Then, lastly, Kaidan walked up. He said, "Commander, cheer up. You haven't lost everything."  
Jessica wiped away her tears and said, "Kaidan, I'm sorry that I'm asking you to sacrifice yourself for me again. Even if this is just a memory of you."  
He smiled and said, "Don't worry, Jessica. You should know that I'd do anything for you. After all, I did love you in life. Even though I knew it would never work out. But, I have one thing to ask of you."  
"What?"

"Would you go and talk to my parents, let them know the details of why I died, not just what the Alliance would have told them."  
"I'll do it, Kaidan."  
"Thanks, Jessica." Kaidan said.

As he turned to fade into the Butcher, Jessica said, "Before you go, let me tell you, I always loved you like a brother."  
"I know, Jessica." he said as he faded into the Butcher, and it writhed, and became a simple entity. It looked Jessica in the eye and said, "You have made me a different kind of entity. Though I am still your darkness, I am now one who wants the best for you. The changes were not natural, and they bring me great pain. I would curse you, but I know that you only did it to make yourself safe for others. So, call on my aid when you need it, and it will be yours."  
Jessica nodded, and said, "I'll do that."

-=0=-

Miranda watched the thrashing of the thorian as Jessica fought the Butcher, then after two hours, it came to a halt, and Jessica was dropped from it. And, she didn't smile, but instead sat on the ground, crying. Miranda asked, "Jessica, what's wrong?"  
"To stop the Butcher from being a threat, I had to put the internal manifestations of my memories of everyone I've ever lost into it, to turn it into an ally. My family and Kaidan talked to me before they faded away. Talking to them again, even if it was just in memory form, reminded me of how much I miss them. It hurts so much knowing they're dead. Knowing that I couldn't help them."

Miranda held Jessica close, and said, "It will be okay, babe. It'll be okay."

Jessica rested her head on Miranda's shoulder and cried, while the Australian ran a comforting hand across her back. As Miranda held her, Jessica said, "I love you. If it weren't for you I'd be a wreck."

"I love you too." Miranda replied.

A few more minutes passed and Jessica shook herself, and said, "We should get going." The rest of the people there nodded, and they went to the shuttle that had brought the ground team. When they got back to the Normandy, Jessica said, "Joker, set course for Ferris Fields."  
"Got it, we'll be there in about eight hours."  
Jessica nodded, and was guided to the elevator by Miranda. They went up to the loft, and settled onto the bed. Miranda held Jessica close, as she cried softly. Then, after a couple of hours, fell asleep exhausted in Miranda's arms. Miranda smiled at the sleeping redhead, and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. She watched Jessica sleep for a few more minutes, then fell asleep herself, a smile on her face.

-=0=-

Harbinger said, "We have lost the one within Shepard!"

Silence replied, "Shepard is unimportant. The cycle will continue despite her actions."  
Oblivion added, "And, she will fall, even though she defeated the one inside her mind."  
Harbinger interrupted, saying, "That was the strongest Butcher ever to exist, now it is gone. We will have to focus our efforts on killing Shepard now. She has become a threat."  
Kronos whispered, "Shepard is a single human, she will not be able to defeat any of our kind. What we need to do is take down their fleets. That way there will be no way for them to fight us."

Defiance said, "The human is dangerous, Kronos. You know that."

The ancient ship said, "Yes, but the fleets are more dangerous."  
"She broke a Butcher! That has not been done in cycles. Only the krogan even knew of the Butchers, and just because they had to kill many of their people to destroy those Butchers." Silence said.

Then, Harbinger silenced them with a simple, "ENOUGH! We will focus on destroying the fleets, because as Kronos said, a single human cannot destroy one of us. However, the Collector fleet must move beyond the Omega 4 before they strike it. Have them believe the threat is gone, as is the child, so that we can surprise them with a flood of Collectors and their swarms charge down and take their worlds."  
The other reapers 'nodded' in agreement, and continued on their journey to the Milky Way, which was drawing ever closer. Within two months the cycle would continue once more. And there would be nothing that the organics could do to stop them. They would attempt to build the Crucible, and it would be their undoing. As so many before them had fallen to their own desperate attempt to destroy those who were destroying them. Or so the reapers thought.

-=0=-

Oriana looked up from her room in the bottom decks of the Normandy and wondered when someone would come down and say hi. She'd been told to wait down here a while back, and she hadn't been told much since then. She sighed, and walked out to the elevator. Going up to the CIC, she was greeted by surprised looking crewmen. A redhead asked, "How'd you get on the Normandy? Didn't we leave you on the Citadel or Illium?"  
"No, I've just been spending time in the lower decks like Jessica told me. No one seemed to remember that I was on the ship. Well everyone except the chef."  
"Why didn't you come up sooner?"  
"I figured that everyone was busy, so I just tried to stay out of the way, but it's been a long time in there. So, I decided to try and figure out what had happened. You know where Jessica and 'Randa are?"

"I think they're getting some rest up in the loft."  
"Alright." Oriana said, heading to the armory, where she saw Ashley and Jacob working on the guns. The two turned and Ashley asked, "When'd you get on the Normandy, Oriana? I thought Shepard left you on the Citadel."  
"Nope, just forgot I was on the ship. Which will make talking to her a bit awkward. Seeing as she completely forgot I was on the ship."  
Ashley laughed and said, "She does that sometimes. So, you need anything?"  
"I'm good. Just exploring the ship."  
"Well, have fun. Don't go anywhere EDI tells you not to though. It could cause trouble."  
"Alright." Oriana said, heading to Mordin's lab. The salarian was rapidly talking to himself about some damage to immune systems. Oriana asked, "What are you talking to yourself about?"

The salarian looked up and said, "No time to talk, busy."

The human looked at his work, and just walked away. She went to the elevator, and after going down to the crew quarters, she went to the main cannon, where Garrus was. He said, "You're Miranda's sister, right?"

"Yeah, Garrus, right?"  
"Indeed. I thought Shepard had picked you up a while back. Figured you'd just been left on the Citadel."  
"Nope, just was forgotten in a room on one of the lower decks."  
"That's got to be tough." the turian said.

"I just view it as people having a lot on their minds. So, what are you working on?"  
"Nothing right now, just relaxing."  
"So, what do you know of what's going on?"  
"Not much that Shepard would like anyone talking about. Classified and such."  
"Alright. When'd you first join up with Jessica?"  
"It was on the Citadel, about twenty hours before we first picked up Tali and Miranda."  
"Wow, that was a long time ago. Weren't you with her when she went and fought Saren?"  
"Yeah, I saw her help Saren realize he was indoctrinated. She may not always show it, but she's got a silver tongue."  
"Yeah, why do you spend so much time in here?"

"Well, when you do what the people on this ship do for a living, things like calibrating a giant gun seem like a good way to relax."  
Oriana nodded, and said, "Well, I should go and get something to eat."  
Garrus said, "Make sure to order something specific, otherwise Gardner may give you rations."

"I'm sure he would." Oriana said as she turned to leave. When she had finished getting her food, a groggy Jessica and Miranda walked in and, when they saw Oriana, both looked horrified. Miranda wrapped her in a hug and said, "I'm so sorry I forgot you were on the Normandy. It completely slipped my mind."  
"'Randa, it's okay. I know you guys have been really busy with work and all."  
Jessica said, "Still, we shouldn't have completely forgotten you were on the Normandy."

"It's alright. It's actually been kinda fun not being known about, and it helped me think about what to do with my future."  
"I thought you wanted to get into colony planning."  
"After I did quite a bit of looking into that, I found that it wasn't really for me. It was too much sitting behind a desk on earth, and not enough actually working with the colonists. After a while, and a lot of research, I found a career that fits me better."  
"What is it?"  
"Well, I thought about it a lot, and realized that I wanted to do something that would actually make a difference in the lives of those colonists. Colonial planning wasn't too good, so I looked into it, and early colonial management in the colony itself is something that needs a lot more people doing it. Currently, corporations only have four or five people total who do that job."  
Miranda said, "So, it's what you thought colonial planning would be?"  
"Yeah, pretty-much. But, it won't be a job that I could get into until after the reapers are gone. Almost everyone is preparing for those things' arrival."  
Jessica said, "Which is good. We need everyone to be prepared for the losses that _will_ come when we fight the reapers. They've been destroying civilizations for over 23 billion years, and they won't stop now, unless we force it on them."  
Oriana said, "I know, and I am so glad that I'm not in your position. Having to worry about stopping machines that have ravaged civilization for that long."  
"I know, but someone has to. And, I've got people helping me do it. I'm not fighting this battle alone. Hell, even if I only had the Normandy crew, I don't think we would be able to fight off the reapers when they arrive and people realize that I was not crazy. But, luckily people are not complete idiots who ignore video evidence. At least, not the turians and humans." she said with a grin, that quickly faded away.

Miranda placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's ok. They wouldn't want you to break down over them."

"I know." she replied, shuddering again, and starting to cry.

"What's wrong?" Oriana asked.  
"She had an... issue that in order to fix she had to 'see' the people she's lost. It was too much for her."  
Oriana nodded, and said, "Maybe I should just go talk with some of the crew. Give her some more privacy."

Miranda nodded, and just pointed to her office. Oriana obliged, and went in to the office and sat on one of the couches.

-=0=-

**A\N: Translations: non habeo deus, Lanium. I do not have a god, Butcher.**

**Vestra sum exterminatore: I am your destoyer.**

**Hoc est meum mundo intus. Hic vos nihil sunt: This is my world within. Here you are nothing.**

**Credit for the reaper names goes to aliasofall on BSN. Thanks for reading, and please favorite\follow if you haven't already. And, as always, please review. **


	55. Chapter 54: Interlude(Yet Again)

Jessica got herself together and said, "Joker, set course for Ferris Fields."

"Gotcha, we'll be there in a few hours." he replied.

"Good." she said as she gently grabbed Miranda's hand, and entered her office. She then said, "Hey, Ori. Sorry about breaking down out there. Can't believe I did that."

Oriana replied, "From what everyone's told me, that last mission was really hard on you. What was it?"

Jessica took a deep breath, and said, "They day the batarians took Mindoir, I was exposed to reaper tech for a long time. The Indoctrination failed, but it left a mark on me. And I had to go through a hassle to make sure I wasn't a threat to everyone around me." she was quiet for a few moments, then said, "I should go see how everyone is doing." leaving Miranda and Oriana to talk. She first headed to where Garrus was, and asked, "How are you doing, Garrus?"

The turian replied, "I'm doing pretty well, but I wonder how we're going to do this."

"We'll find a way to go in and kill the Collectors. The Omega 4 relay is the main obstacle to our success. But, so long as people keep it together we'll be fine."

"Well, you run the Normandy well, they may be stressed, but they're handling it well. I remember this one time back in the turian military before a high risk mission in batarian space there was this one other turian. She and I didn't get along-stress mostly-, so after a while we decided to settle our differences in the ring. I had reach but she had flexibility. After twelve rounds it was called a tie, left a lot of unhappy betters. Later we decided to have a rematch in her room, more than one way to blow off steam."

"They have fighting rings on turian vessels? Couldn't someone get hurt before a mission in the ring?"

"The ring fights were carefully watched to make sure that it didn't affect the ability to do your job. Turian regs are a lot less strict than Alliance ones. We were always allowed to do anything that didn't decrease our ability to do what we needed to."

"Interesting, what do you think our overall chances of coming out of this alive are?"

"Honestly? The Collectors killed you once and all it did was piss you off. I doubt that they'll be able to beat you again. We're going to go in there and give them hell."

Jessica nodded, and said, "You bet your ass we will, and you'll be right with me just like you were on the Citadel."

"It'll be just like old times, Shepard."

She grinned and said, "We'll show the reapers that with us and Miri going after them that they may as well give up on taking our galaxy now." She then seriously continued, "You're a good friend, and I wouldn't want to go on a mission like this without you at my side."

The turian nodded, and said, "Likewise, Shepard." before turning back to his work.

Jessica then walked into the medbay and said, "Karin, how are you doing?"

The old doctor said, "I'm doing well, though you look like you've had a rough day, Jessica."

"I'm fine. Sometimes even old scars hurt."

"Then maybe it was good that you had to deal with them now, rather than in the Collector base."

"Yeah, how do you feel, knowing that chances are against us?"

"I've lived through the fall and retaking of Shanxi, the Skyllian Blitz, the Battle of the Citadel, and the destruction of the Normandy. I've lived a full life, and if I die, it will be with no regrets. I just hope that my skills will enable the others to be able to get to my age and say the same."

Jessica nodded, and gave Karin a quick hug. Before walking over to Eve and asking, "How do you feel?"

"Better. Mordin managed to stabilize my condition, though the others were not so fortunate." the female krogan said- sorrow clear in her eyes as she looked at the body bags of her sisters. She then asked, "What are you going to do to me, Shepard?"

"I don't know all of the details, but you'll see Tuchanka again, and probably be the savior of the krogan people. With the cure that was used on you modified to safely work on all krogan, then the genophage could be gone. Its lasted more than long enough."

"Thank you, Shepard. It has been a long time since any alien has been a friend to the krogan. But, I think you are. I appreciate you doing this for my people."

"I've always been said to be more open-minded than most. Probably because I spent most of my early years in a slightly backwater part of Mississippi. It was still mainly influenced by religions, and they didn't like lesbians. They all said, 'Your kind is an abomination unto God.' The adults, except for mom and dad all told their kids to stay away from me. Said I'd make them unclean. That my 'disease' might be contagious."

The female krogan laughed, and said, "There are always many who will not accept a way of life different from their own. On Tuchanka, we call them males."

"Yeah, I still remember what it was like talking to the people who had picked on me as a kid when I went back there after graduating from N7 training. One of the guys, the local bully as a kid, tried to pick a fight with me. After I nearly killed him in a few seconds, they didn't mess with me again. I was able to walk right through town with impunity. It felt good, but it was really petty."

The krogan nodded, and said, "I heard you have one of our young. A tank bred. Would you permit me to speak with him? To teach him of his people's history."

"I'll tell him to come and speak with you."

"Thank you. So few krogan know the old ways, it would be good to teach the young who may very well be the future leader of our race."

"Why do you say he could one day lead the krogan race? I thought they didn't accept tank breds."

"From what little I have seen, he is strong, as strong as Wrex was as a youth. Even if he is not accepted now, he will be when Wrex is gone."

Jessica nodded, then said "I should get going. I need to make sure that my crew is doing well." as she walked to the exit. When she went to the drell quarters, Thane said, "Shepard."

"Thane, how are you doing?"

"The Kepral's Syndrome is getting worse. And, there is little I can do to slow its progression."

"Maybe Mordin could help. He's got a brilliant mind for genetics and alien biology."

"I am a single man, he is working on finding a cure for the genophage. His work is too important to pull him away from to save a single man."

"You still have a son, Thane. He's lived most of his life without you, don't you want to live so you can spend time with him when the war is over?"

"When Irikah died I returned to my battle sleep and abandoned Kolyat to his aunts' and uncles' care. Some wounds are too deep for any words I could say to heal. I have accepted that Kolyat does not want me in his life. I have decided to give him what he wants, hoping that it will bring him some measure of peace."

Jessica slapped Thane and growled, "He's your son, Thane. He may not want to talk to you now, but if you give up that quickly, when you die, it won't bring him peace. It will just make him regret wasting the time he had, make him wish that you had pushed harder to fix your relationship. He's angry, justifiably, but you don't just give up on someone because they're mad at you."

Thane looked surprised, then said, "You are right, Shepard. I should not have given up so quickly. It was partially because I did not wish to have any distractions, and to return to my battle sleep forever."

"That's no way to live a life, Thane. Trust me, I've tried it." Jessica said as she sat down on the other side of the table Thane was at.

The silence continued for a few moments, then Thane said, "It was twelve years ago that Irikah died. Kolyat was just a boy, he did not understand why I was letting the hanar give his mother to the oceans. Tears run down his face, he shouts, 'Make them stop!' I do nothing. He hits me, begs to make them not do it. I do not respond, instead I stand there quietly. Then, he stops hitting me and asks, 'Why?' I do not respond, but guide him to his aunts and uncles." Thane then came out of the trance-like state his people entered when viewing memories. He said, "I would appreciate time alone. I need to think."

Jessica nodded, and exited the drell quarters. In the asari quarters, she said, "Samara."

"Shepard, I had been wanting to speak with you. There is a problem that I would appreciate your help with."

"What is it?"

"As I told you on Illium, I am hunting an incredibly dangerous individual."

"An Ardat Yaktshi. What about it?"

"I have found her. She is on Omega."

"That makes sense, it's the biggest den of scum and villainy in the galaxy. We'll go take care of it as soon as we leave Ferris Fields."

"Thank you, and there is one thing you should know about this creature. She is... my daughter."

Jessica said, "Why would a Justicar be hunting her own daughter. Wouldn't there be a chance that mercy would be shown due to familial relations?"

"I specifically requested permission to go after Morinth, the order accepted it as a test of my loyalty to the Code. I have been hunting her for over four hundred years, and now that I have a chance to end this hunt, I will do whatever it takes."

"Do you really want to kill your own daughter?"

"Morinth is no daughter of mine, not anymore."

"You're her mother, even if you don't like what she's done with her life."

"I know, Shepard, but it has to be this way."

Jessica did not reply, but left, not seeing the single tear that fell from Samara's eye for her malevolent daughter.

In Javik's room, she asked, "How are you acclimatizing, Javik?"

"It is strange to be in a ship developed by primitives in my cycle, and to see that in ways it is more advanced than the ships of my people."

"I think it would be difficult to wake up fifty-thousand years after everyone else of my race died."

"In my time, I knew that every day could be my people's last. The reapers had destroyed our fleets, our only hope was a device that we believed would end it all. We spent years working on it, but when it was finished, it did not work, just as the cannons to stun the reapers did not. And, when the Citadel was lost at the beginning, we did not know what to do. It was the center of our civilization, and without it, our people were not organized at first. And then, once the reapers found out our strategies, we had maintained too tight control over the galaxy to adapt and develop new ones."

"You guys weren't ones to share power."

"Indeed, and it was our undoing. Perhaps your people are wiser than my own."

"Maybe, but there's been a lot of war in our cycle. More than in yours."

"In an uncontrolled galaxy there will always be war. That is the nature of life."

"True, it's been good talking with you, Javik."

"Likewise, Commander. Has Anderson reported anything on the vaults?"

"He says it will take a while to excavate them, but that they should be found within the year."

"Good." Javik said.

Jessica walked out and headed to the quarian quarters, and put on the environment suit before walking in. Tali said, "Shepard, I haven't seen you in a while. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty well, though that last mission has me a bit concerned. Who knows how many people are reaper agents."

"Probably quite a few. They've been influencing the galaxy for billions of years, undoubtedly their tech has spread throughout most of the galaxy."

"Anyway, how are you and Lia doing?"

"We're doing fine. Gabby and Ken are really good at doing their jobs down in engineering so there haven't really been any issues. Though, I'm starting to think that it may be best to get all of the civilians of off the Normandy. It's been shown that our environment suits don't work against the seeker swarms. I think that Veetor was left by the Collectors on purpose."

"What do you mean?"

Tali said quietly, "A few hours ago, I received a message from him. It was short. All it said was that he had been caught by a Collector, and it spared him. It was glowing like the ones possessed by Harbinger, and it said that he was to make sure that _you_ knew what you were facing. I think that this entire thing may be a trap to get you."

"Why do you say that?"

"I think the reapers may want to capture you because of what you've done. They may see you as a tool that can be used to help them in the cycle."

"That would make sense. I'll be sure to not take any unnecessary risks."

"Good, I don't know what would happen to Miranda if you were lost again. When you died it hit us all hard, but Miranda was not herself. It was rough seeing that happen to someone like her."

Jessica nodded, and said, "I honestly think that if I'd never met her I would not have had a girlfriend who stuck with me for longer than a month. With how I am, it's like I'm more trouble than I'm worth."

"I'm sure that you'd have found someone who would be willing to deal with your baggage."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I pushed her away, called her the one thing she hated being called more than anything, and died on her after promising to meet her on the planet."

"I'm sure she said this, but that wasn't exactly your fault." Tali said.

Lia walked up and said, "And, you're being paranoid. I think most people would go through a lot just to be with Commander Shepard."

"I wouldn't be the person who saved the Citadel if I hadn't met her. My time with her made me one to fight. Before, I just took everyone's attacks. Most days mom or dad escorted me to and from school to make sure that I wasn't beaten up. The kids there hated the fact that I was different from them. The teachers didn't penalize me in grades, but they did push me to get a lot more done so that I would be gone faster. Then, a short while after I graduated I was hired by Miri's father."

"That was a lucky break for you." Lia said.

"Yeah," she replied, "but, I should probably go and give you two some privacy." before leaving the room and heading to the lower level where she walked into Zaeed's room and asked, "How are you doing, Zaeed?"

"Been through a lot of missions in my time, Shepard, but nothing like this. Finding a living prothean, learning the Collectors were protheans, and the Omega 4 relay leads to the galactic core. Found out more stuff in the last six weeks than in the last six hundred year."

"Yeah, what do you think of our chances against the Collectors?"

"The Collectors are one hell of an enemy, I don't know how we're going to pull this off. You may be good, but this is going through the Omega 4 relay we're talking about."

"We've got more information on the Collectors, their tech, and the Omega 4 relay's destination than any other ship to ever try to go through it. We know how the Collectors manage to safely take the Omega 4 relay jump. All we have to do is use their technology against their first layer of defense. Then, it won't be easy, but we'll have cleared the major obstacle."

"You're confident, I'll give you that, but we'll need more than confidence to beat the Collectors."

"We'll beat them and come out alive, don't worry about it."

Zaeed nodded, and said, "I've kept you long enough, talk more later, Shepard."

She nodded, and headed down to Jack's room. The convict said, "Well, Shepard, I didn't expect to see you again for a while. Heard you broke down during that last job you did."

"It was rough on me, but I'm fine now. How are you doing, Jack?"

"A lot better. This meditation crap is actually really relaxing and calming."

"Glad to hear it. How are you feeling about what happened with Aresh?"

"I'm over it. He's dead, and there's nothing I can do to change that. Why did Cerberus implant him, that's what I want to know. The data I got was that the Illusive Man is not one to implant his men with reaper tech. Seems like even he has a line he won't cross."

Jessica was quiet for a moment, then said, "Maybe it wasn't done by him. Maybe they were abducted by the reapers, and simply took a Cerberus cruiser after being released as Indoctrinated agents. But, what I don't get is if that was the case, why were they interested in advancing human biotics. The husks we've fought haven't used biotics against us, and I seriously doubt that strength is the factor that is preventing it."

Jack was quiet for a while, then EDI said, "Perhaps the reapers wanted to have us believe that Cerberus is as bad as they are. To try and divert some of our forces against an enemy of their own creation. Divide us, then harvest the races of the galaxy."

Jessica said, "That makes sense. The reapers aren't exactly known for fighting fair."

The AI did not respond, so Jessica asked, "How are you sessions with Kelly going?"

"She keeps asking the same questions, hoping to get me to tell her something. Hasn't really worked. Just keep telling her what it was like for the first few weeks on Pragia. I think she's starting to get frustrated."

"Don't cause too much trouble, Jack. I don't want to have to hire another psychiatrist because you drove Kelly insane."

"That won't happen. If I think she's starting to lose it, I'll be sure to be more co-operative."

"Good, and, it's good to see that you're starting to recover from the shit you've been through."

"I may be getting better, but I'm still the psycho bitch you picked up on the Citadel."

"I'm not asking you to become a well rounded member of society, but I'll be less dangerous to you and your people."

"I wasn't worried about that. I think you don't want to get thrown out of the airlock."

"You may say you'd do that, but I seriously doubt you would."

Jessica laughed and pulled up her omni-tool. She then loaded up a surveillance video from the SR1 , and showed it to Jack. It showed the time she'd tried to throw Liara out of the airlock, but was stopped by the others members of the ground team. Jack then said, "Alright, you win, Shepard. I'll be sure to not try to kill anyone."

"Glad that you see things the way I do. But, I should get going. Talk to you later Jack."

"See you later, Shepard." Jack replied.

She headed up to the elevator and went up to deck two. She headed to the armory, and said to Ashley, "I had Joker set course for Ferris Fields, you should be ready to move quickly when we land."

Ashley replied, "I'll be sure to be ready when we get there."

"Glad to hear it. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty well, Shepard. And," Ash hesitated for a moment then said, "I'm sorry about Horizon."

Jessica was quiet, then said, "Thanks, it's good to see that you've gotten past my short stint with Cerberus."

"You were just using their resources to do what you could to help the colonies that were disappearing. I should have known that you wouldn't betray the Alliance. I thought that Miranda may have influenced you to feeling sympathetic to their cause."

"She wouldn't even try. She doesn't blindly believe in the way the Illusive Man does things."

"Yeah, I should get back to work." Ash said.

"Alright." Jessica said as she turned to Jacob and asked, "How are you doing, Jacob?"

"Pretty good, trying to figure out some stuff."

"What?"

"It's private

"So, have you heard any news about what's going to happen to your father?"

"The trial was held a few days ago. He was found guilty on all charges. He'd be going to prison if it weren't for the reapers coming. So, instead he's been put on community service until the threat's gone."

"At least people are being reasonable. Is he being guarded?"

"He's got a few measures to keep him from escaping."

"Good, it's been nice talking to you."

"Likewise, Shepard." Jacob said as he turned to his terminal and started checking up on the multitude of weapons the Normandy team had acquired.

Jessica checked the supplies that had been gotten from Illium, and sighed as she saw that there were enough materials to rebuild the harrier. She quickly gathered the parts needed for it, and set about getting it put together. Twenty minutes later and she had the internal mechanisms put mostly together, so she pulled up the parts that made the outer casing of the weapon and started placing them in the way they would need to be in order to have the weapon look how it should. An hour later a newly constructed Cerberus Harrier, minus the terrorist organization's emblem, sat on the work bench before the Commander. She popped in a thermal clip, took aim at the targets on the far end of the armory, and fired off a single round. It flew into the target and hit with the same force that the original Harrier had. Jessica then waited a few seconds, and opened fire once more. The remaining nineteen rounds flew from the barrel in a few seconds, taking out all four targets.

She grinned, and removed the spent thermal clip. Exiting the armory from the side door, she saw the communications center door open, and out walked Jondum Bau. She asked, "How are you doing, Bau?"

"My injuries have been taken care of. When you next need my help I'll be there."

"Good, what about that operation in batarian space you mentioned? How long until it will be ready?"

"Approximately six days."

"Can you speed it up at all? We're going to be picking up the reaper IFF in six days."

"I will do what I can to speed up the preparations. How many more people do you need to help?"

"After we help Ashley all that will really be left are you, Samara, Grunt, and Zaeed. We should have plenty of time."

"Understood. I'll go and work on preparing the mission. I should be able to get the mission ready to go in four days if I work constantly on it."

"How long should it take?"

"Approximately thirty-six hours, Shepard."

She looked worried, then said, "Sorry, Bau, but we won't have time before picking up Legion. Afterwords, I can't say. Things may start happening too quickly to do that job."

"I understand, Commander, I will see if there is a way to get it done after the Omega 4 relay mission."

"Sorry, but it just can't be done before we pick up Legion. There are other things which take priority over it."

Bau nodded, and headed to the salarian quarters. Jessica walked into Mordin's lab, where the salarian said, "Shepard, have found proper way to administer genophage cure, but require to perfect cure before doing so."

"How do you plan to spread the cure?"

"On Tuchanka, large salarian construct used to apply genophage. But, will be difficult to reach. If information gathered by Urdnot scouts is correct, would be logical to assume that there are several layers of defense in Tuchanka's own environment. And, one who did get there indicate that the tower appeared to be falling apart. Will need to clear a path to it to enable necessary. Otherwise, whoever would have to go up to make sure that the shroud doesn't damage cure would die."

"Wouldn't it be possible to just alter the cure?"

"Would take too long. Years, decades maybe. Would not be efficient enough with current reaper invasion force size."

"I understand. We'll do what we can about it. Have you contacted the Council about this development?"

"No, only just came across it. Was considering informing them, but figured would be better to talk to you first."

"I appreciate it, Mordin. Inform the Council, I'm sure they'll be able to ensure that things go properly."

"Will cure genophage, Shepard. Modified genophage... a mistake." he said.

"What changed your mind, Mordin?"

"Recently spoke to nephew. Recently got tenure at university at 16. Genophage modification morally questionable, required looking only at big picture. For this, wanted it to be more personal. During conversation realized had made mistake in genophage modification project. Looked only at big picture, did not see that big picture was made of many little pictures. Did not think of effect on krogan populace, only saw the difficulty of challenge. Only thought of helping galaxy, and..." the salarian delayed, and then said, "making great impact on galaxy. Was selfish."

Jessica nodded, and said, "The genophage modification may have been a mistake, Mordin, but if you hadn't done it, then the krogan would still be a threat to the galaxy. They wouldn't have a leader like Wrex, so they could have relapsed into their old ways. It could have been a galactic war that we wouldn't need when the reapers are coming to destroy us."

Mordin said, "Maybe, but could have caused krogan extinction."

"Could have, but didn't." Jessica replied.

The salarian nodded, before saying with a smile, "Appreciated this talk, Shepard. Should get back to work."

"I'll let you do that." she replied, as she headed to the CIC, she asked Kelly, "There anything I need to know?"

"You have unread messages on your private terminal, and Joker would like to speak to you."

"Got it, thanks Kelly. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Commander. I notice that you are more relaxed, and your demeanor is less hostile than before."  
"Yeah, I'm past that now."

"Glad to hear it. How are your fish doing?"

"When I released EDI from Cerberus control she told me that if I wanted I could hook her systems to the aquarium's feeder so she could feed them for me. She's done a really good job of keeping them alive."

"At least someone remembers to feed them. I always wondered how they didn't starve."

"Oh, at first I remembered how to feed them, and when I didn't Miri did. Now, it's all automated, so we can just appreciate them in my cabin. Though, we're usually too busy to even get some sleep, much less just relax in the cabin."

Kelly laughed, and said, "I know, this mission has a lot of work to get done, even for me."

"Yeah, but once the Suicide Mission is done things should become a lot easier. We won't have to make sure that the Normandy is ready to go through the Omega 4 relay at a moment's notice."

"Yeah, never thought I'd be on a vessel that did that, and we'll succeed."

"I appreciate your confidence, Kelly."

"I trust you, Shepard. I feel like if I fell down in front of you that you'd catch me."

"Well, your trust is well placed. And, if I were single, I'd do more than just catch you."

"Well, that's an enticing thought." Kelly replied.

"You forget, I'm already taken." Jessica replied, while she read her email. Then, went up to the bridge and asked, "What's up, Joker?"

"Was wondering how you're feeling. You pretty much just broke down, and that isn't like you."

"During the thorian mission, I encountered... memories of everyone I've lost. It was rough, I didn't handle it very well."

"Well, at least it was just you being human. I was wondering whether or not Miranda had said something along the lines of, 'we have to break up.' I know what that did to her, so I was thinking maybe she was just getting a little good natured payback."

Jessica grinned, and said, "Oh, she's made me regret it."

Joker laughed, and said, "Well, maybe she'll stop once you've killed another reaper. Which should be coming up soon, right?"

"Six days until we're supposed to be there. Hopefully we'll be able to make it in time. Don't want to keep our geth friend waiting."

"Yeah, I can imagine what he'd say, 'Shepard Commander, where you too busy attempting to throw asari out of the airlock to arrive at the designated time?'." he teased.

Jessica said, "Or, 'Shepard Commander, is your aim so bad that you were unable to terminate Dr. T'Soni quick enough to arrive on time?'."

Joker laughed, and said, "If he says that, you have to give me a video of that."

"I'll be sure to do that, what's the ETA on Ferris Fields?"

"We should be there in about an hour. You'll soon want to get ready."

"Yeah, I'm going to go see how Kasumi's doing."

"Yeah, make sure she hasn't stolen anything!" Joker said.

Jessica grinned, and walked off. When she walked to the elevator, she noticed that Kelly was gone. _'Must be time for another psych session with Jack.'_ the Commander thought. When she stepped out of the elevator on deck 3, she headed to the bar/game room, and when the door opened, she saw Kelly and Kasumi kissing on the couch. She just stood there for a minute, then took a couple of pictures with her omni-tool, and said, "Hey, I didn't expect you two to hook up? So, when'd it happen?"

The two looked shocked, and were six feet apart from each other in about three seconds. Kelly was blushing a bright red, and from what Jessica could see under the master thief's rapidly raised hood, so was Kasumi. Kasumi said, "Uh, Kelly just... fell over some of the furniture and landed on me."  
"Yeah, then why was your hood down, Kas?"

"I'd lowered it a while ago, I was about to raise it because I noticed Kelly, when she fell on me."

"Right," Jessica said, sarcasm thick in her voice, making her old Mississippi accent come back a bit. "Then why were you pulling her closer, and I think I saw a bit of tongue action going on there."

Kasumi said, "Alright, Shep, you win. We'll cut it out."

"You don't have to do that, just don't try to hide it when you're caught in the act, or at least lock the door. That way, Kelly can hide before you two get seen. Just a bit of advice, if you want to keep it secret."  
The two nodded, and Jessica then said, "I'll leave you two to what you were doing, but Kas, be sure to be ready to go on a mission in fifty."  
"I'll be ready, Shep." The thief cheerfully replied, "And thanks for not being bothered by this breach of protocol."  
"I can't really get on your case about protocol. I'm sleeping with my XO after all." She said as she exited. She then went to Miranda's office and said, "Ori, Miri, you won't believe what I just saw."  
"What?" the younger Lawson asked.

"I went to check on Kasumi, and caught her and Kelly making out."  
Miranda looked surprised, then said, "I didn't think Kasumi swung that way."  
"Neither did I until I caught her. Strange the things you stumble on when just making sure everyone's doing. Especially on this ship."

Joker then said, "We'll be arriving at Ferris Fields in about twenty minutes, you may want to get ready."

"Got it." Jessica said as she and Miranda headed to the Loft. There, they quickly got into armor, Jessica using a set of regular N7 armor with an Archon Visor, and Miranda wearing a full set of Kestrel armor. They then headed down to the shuttle bay and grabbed their firearms. Jessica practically bouncing with excitement as she thought of using the harrier in combat again.

Ash was already waiting in the shuttle, and so was Kasumi. Miranda asked, "What do you know about the situation on Ferris Fields?"  
"Well, the Collectors hit it hard a while back, but a few of the colonists managed to escape capture because they were miles away from the colony at the time. Beyond that, we don't really have any intel on the situation on the ground."  
"Understood." Jessica said, "How many people were lost when it was hit?"  
"We don't have an exact number yet, but it was over five thousand people."

"At least some escaped." Kasumi said.

Miranda nodded, and Jessica was simply looking out of the shuttle. Watching the planet come ever closer. Two minutes passed, then five. Ever so slowly the small transport took them to the space port on the colony. When it landed, Jessica said, "Be ready for anything."

"Understood, Skipper." Ash replied.

-=0=-

The Illusive Man sat quietly in his office, watching the dying star, when Supremacy popped up and said, "We have just recovered the bodies of the assassins Leng sent to kill Shepard and her ground team. It appears that they had been implanted with reaper tech."  
"Do you know where they were implanted?"  
"Having examined the implants, I would say that it had to be at Project Perfection station near the galactic rim."  
TIM said, "Send a team of agents, led by Operative Shadow. Have her get to the closest QEC she can. I will debrief her on the details personally."

"Understood." the VI replied, a few minutes later she said, "She has acknowledged it, and is heading to the QEC now."  
"Good." TIM replied, quietly waiting for the fifteen minutes until the petite brunette operative showed up wearing her formal attire. TIM said, "Stephanie, there is a mission I need you to go and do."  
"What is it, sir?" she asked, the gentle tones of her french accent clear in her voice.

"You're familiar with Project Perfection, correct?"  
"Yes, sir. I was a guard there for a while after I failed a few months before Shepard returned."  
"Good, you are to take a team there, and kill everyone."  
"Why, sir? The last I checked they were following their orders."  
"Well, it can't have been too recently. I have been informed that Perfection has been implanting Cerberus agents with reaper tech. I don't know why, but it is unacceptable."  
"I understand, sir. They will pay for betraying Cerberus."  
"Not just Cerberus, but the entire galaxy. They've been giving the reapers agents in Citadel Space. We're lucky they didn't try to open the Citadel relay."  
"Indeed, when do you want me and my team to arrive?"  
"Asap. The more time they're given, the better the odds are they'll have destroyed any evidence on the station."  
"We will be there in two days. It is a good distance from the relay network."

"Get it done, Shadw." TIM said, before cutting the transmission.

-=0=-

Anderson quietly sat at his desk in the human embassy on the Citadel. He was watching a rather chaotic scene unfold before him. Several volus and a hanar had picked a fight with an elcor, and the massive alien was trying to push them away, but its slow, cumbersome movements didn't let it land a blow.

Then, after a few minutes, two C-sec agents had shown up. One a human, the other a turian. The turian was politely trying to get the hanar to release his human partner. The human, meanwhile, was gasping for breath and reaching for his pistol. It was just out of his reach, because one of the volus had knocked it off of its spot on his uniform.

Then, the turian seemed to just say, "Fuck it." and pulled out his assault rifle and fired three rounds into the tentacles of the hanar. The jellyfish quickly released the human, who quickly grabbed his pistol and was very clear that he was not afraid to use his gun on them. Anderson laughed as the poor guy was then tackled and pinned to the ground by three volus. Meanwhile, the elcor quietly walked away.

The turian officer, on the other hand, was too busy laughing to help his partner.

Then, the human shouted loud enough for Anderson to hear clearly, "Get off of me you little bastards or I will throw all of you through the Conduit!"

That intimidated the volus enough to jump away, but before they could be put into cuffs, they sprinted away, and the C-sec officers weren't able to catch the speedy aliens.

Anderson then turned around, and was greeted by an asari, who said, "Councilor Anderson, I have a message for you."  
"From who?"  
"It is from Councilor Tevos. She would like to speak to you at Flux. It sounds important."  
"I'll make sure to pay her a visit. When did she say she wanted to see me?"  
"She would like you to be there are in fifty minutes, at the absolute latest."

"Thanks for the message." Anderson said, giving the girl a few credits before heading to his house on the Citadel. Udina had insisted that the human councilor have at the very least a mansion equal in size to the asari and turian councilors. If not larger.

_'Damn supremacist attitude. I can't believe Cerberus changed so much without me even noticing. Once it was all about being humanity's shield against alien threats. Protecting our race from aggression from the Citadel races. Now, a group dedicated to subjugating everyone else to humanity. At least the Illusive Man let me leave after I became councilor. Thought he was going to have an aneurism when I told him, though. But, he didn't like my co-operation with the other council races. Things were better when he wasn't left uncontrolled.'_

When he finished gathering the more subtle firearms he kept, he headed back to his skycar and headed to Flux. When he arrived, he saw Tevos sitting alone at a table. He walked up to her, and asked, "Why'd you want to see me, Tevos?"

"I have come across a slight problem. The matriarchs on Thessia are not willing to release valuable prothean information to the rest of the galaxy. We kept it hidden before because of its sensitive nature concerning the prothean people."  
"What did it have?"  
"It showed that they were a warring race, who relied heavy on artificial intelligences. The matriarchs believed that it would be foolish to let any other than the highest ranking asari officials be aware of it and the data it contained within it."  
"Aren't you committing treason by telling me this?"  
"Yes, but the asari have hidden this information for long enough. With the reapers coming, we will need as many people as possible studying as much prothean data as possible if we are to be victorious. The matriarchs do not agree with me, and told me that I was not to tell anyone about this. What I've done will anger them greatly, and possibly harm the asari as a whole, but I couldn't let such a potentially valuable resource go squandered over politics. The matriarchs will doubtlessly send assassins after me to make me pay for this, which is why I will personally be going to the new colonies. They won't be able to reach me there."  
Anderson nodded, and asked, "Who will take your place as councilor?"  
"The matriarchs and I have arranged a successor for me. When we confirmed the reaper threat, we felt it would be best to have a clear line of succession should we win the war, but our councilor be lost. Don't worry, she is not as harsh as the other matriarchs. In fact, she's your kind of person. Someone who takes defense seriously, and also, is a military woman."  
"I'll be looking forward to meeting her." Anderson politely said, while Tevos left the bar. He stayed there a while longer, then headed back to his car. Inside, a pistol was placed to his head, and a man with a gravelly voice said, "Don't move. I'm just here to talk, Councilor."  
"What about?"  
"The asari who will become Councilor after Tevos, you can't trust her. She has a rather... shady history."  
"Who is it?"  
"Matriarch Aethyta, someone Shepard worked with as a teenager."  
"What does this shady history include?"  
"My employer was not willing to share that information."  
"Who is your employer?" Anderson inquired, clearly not intimidated by the weapon placed to the back of his head.

"He wouldn't like me telling you anything beyond what I was told to, so you can enjoy trying to figure it out on your own." the man said as he hopped out of the vehicle, and leaped over the edge. Then, left in a waiting skycar. Anderson glared at him, and began pursuing him. But, before he could do anything, the mysterious messenger had disappeared in the traffic. _'I guess I'll have to ask Jessica about this Matriarch Aethyta.'_

-=0=-

**A/N: Whoa, this went longer than I had hoped for the content I planned for chapter 55. I thought it would barely reach 4500, and next thing I knew it was at 6900. So, I'll cut it off here and finish this chunk of content next chapter. Even if it goes ten thousand words. Thanks a ton for reading and please review.**


	56. Chapter 55:Ferris Fields

**A/N: So, not much to say here, but MortalWarlock will now be betaing Meus Mundus, so the chapters should be polished much better now. **

-=0=-

Shepard looked around the Ferris Fields space port, and it was devoid of people save those who had just arrived in the Normandy's shuttle. Miranda, Ashley, and Kasumi had pulled out their pistols, while Jessica popped up her omni-tool and activated the scanner, linking it to her visor's HUD. It showed that there were three people approaching from their six.

She said, "We've got three people approaching from the east."

Ashley replied, "One of them could be my mom. She'll probably know what's going on."

However, when the group arrived they saw three men, their leader looking angry. Glaring, he said, "If you're here to help, you're way too late. The Collectors were here weeks ago."

Jessica asked, "The Collectors came here? How many people did they get?"

"They got most of us. Only a couple dozen got away. But you and your friends were off wandering around the galaxy for no good reason."

Miranda replied, "We were getting things and people we'll need when we go to take them out."  
"Maybe, but it won't bring back those who were lost. We lost almost everyone because you were 'busy' getting supplies you needed. Because you were taking your time, Shepard, I lost my husband!"  
Jessica shook her head, and said, "It's clear you know who I am, so you should know that if I could have stopped this, I would have."

"That's what people like you always say, 'If we could have done something we would have.' Well, maybe if you'd just let the Collectors take you we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Miranda slapped him. "Cortez, if she let them take her, we would be in an even worse position. The Collectors are trying to abduct all of humanity, not just Jessica."

"You don't know that, Samantha."

"That isn't my name, you should have realized that it was just a cover."

"I do, but I don't have anything else to call you."

"You can call me Miranda, but I do know that they are trying to get more than just Jessica, because they're making a bloody human Reaper!"

Jessica said, "Relax, Miri." Then she turned to Cortez and continued, "Cortez, you're Alliance, you should know that people sometimes die. I'm sorry that I couldn't help Ferris Fields, but I can promise you that I will avenge their deaths. Or my team and I will die trying."

"That won't bring Roger back." Cortez growled.

"It won't, but it will make the bastards who took him pay. Even if it isn't enough for you, it's all you can get." Jessica replied.

Ashley broke in, fear clear in her voice. "Did Eleanor Williams get taken?"

"No, she was with those of us who were spared."

The Alliance soldier sighed with relief, before asking, "Where is she?"

"She's in the main part of the colony. Why do you care?"

"She's my mother." Ashley growled.

"Both of you need to calm down. We're all on the same side here." Jessica intervened. "Cortez, where is Mrs. Williams in the main colony?"

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry about how I acted, Commander, Lieutenant Steven Cortez reporting."

"I'm not technically a member of the Alliance anymore, so you can just call me Jessica, or Shepard. I don't like the constant use of titles when people talk to me. I'm just a woman, nothing more."

Cortez laughed and said, "Sorry, Shepard, but I think most people would say that you're more than just a woman. More along the lines of a living legend."

"Those people don't know me. Everything I'm remembered for doing before becoming a Spectre I didn't do for any reason than to try and atone for my sins in the past."

"That may be the case," Cortez said as he started walking back the way he and his companions came, followed by Jessica and her team, "but you've done shit that no one thought was possible. You took a Mako through a mass relay, held the line alone when faced with a force of batarians that could be considered an army. Took command on Torfan, survived the batarian raid on Mindoir." At the mention of Mindoir, Jessica winced, and tears began to fill her eyes. "Took out Saren, and killed a Reaper."

"I didn't kill that Reaper. The fleets did."

"Maybe, but all I know is that you had some kind of effect on it. If the reports are to be believed."

"They're often exaggerated to make soldiers seem better than they are."

He laughed, and replied, "Not with you, Shepard. Roger saw you fight on Torfan, said that it was like watching a force of nature. He said that at one point you just pounced on a batarian and beat him so hard that his face was broken so badly that his own mother wouldn't be able to recognize him."

"Maybe, I don't really remember Torfan." Jessica said, while the Warrior said, _'That was fun. I remember that batarian. Seeing the fear in his eyes as the life left him from each of my blows was so satisfying.'_

_'You're not relapsing, are you?'_

_'No, this is just the way I am, Shepard.'_ it replied.

Meanwhile, they had reached Ashley's mother's house. Cortez said, "Here it is. If you need anything, ma'am, feel free to find me at the control center at the defense tower."

Miranda responded, "We'll be sure to do that. Thanks for the help."

"No problem. Just doing my job." Cortez replied, walking away.

Then, Jessica asked, "So, how do you know Cortez, Miri?"

"It was shortly after I joined Cerberus. I was sent on a mission to one of the colonies, and he ran into me while another operative and I were heading to take care of a pair of indoctrinated individuals. At least that's what I was told. I don't really know the details of what we were really doing on that mission."

"You did a job without knowing why? That's not like you, Miri."

"I was new, I couldn't ask too many questions."

Ashley ignored the two women, and instead knocked on the door to the prefab her mother was in. The door opened, and a woman just on the verge of looking elderly, said, "Ashley, how are you dear? And who are you friends?"

"I'm doing pretty well, mom. The one in the hood is Kasumi Goto, the redhead is Jessica Shepard, and the brunette is Miranda Lawson."

The woman's kind face then distorted in disgust as she looked at Shepard and Miranda. You filthy dikes better get the hell away from my house before I blow both of your heads off with my shotgun!"

Jessica turned to her, eyes glowing red, and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"I've heard a little about you and your girlfriend. Nothing to make me not blow both of your heads off."

Ashley said, "Mom, surely you read about her on the news. You know, the first human Spectre, Savior of the Citadel, Hero of the Blitz, the Butcher of Torfan? Don't those ring a bell?"

"I don't care what she's done, I'm not going to let her in my house."

Jessica shook her head. "It's too bad that you see things that way, Williams. I thought that someone who spent time in the Alliance would be more willing to believe in the work of another soldier."

"I may have been Alliance, but I doubt that anyone could have done what they say you've done, Shepard."

"Everything the reports say I've done, I have. Even if you don't believe me, surely you'd believe your daughter when she tells you that I did it."

"She wasn't there."

Ashley said, "I may not have been there, mom, but I've seen Shepard in action. She could have easily done what the reports say, and more."

"Are you sure you can trust her, Ash? People with her... condition aren't very trustworthy."

That was when Miranda walked up to Eleanor, looking on the verge of slapping her, growling, "What is your problem? She saved the bloody Citadel, and you're saying that a choice she made is a disease. If it weren't for her, you'd be dead already."

"You don't know that, dyke." She replied.

Then, Eleanor flew into the air, as Shepard's eyes glowed red, before she spoke, "You will not use that term again, or I will take my team and leave you to the devices of whoever the hell is following you. We came here to help you find out who it is, but if you just want to be a bitch to us, I will leave."

"You wouldn't do it, you're too soft."

"Tell that to the batarians I killed on Torfan, or the krogan I tore limb from limb with my bare hands on Korlus." Jessica replied.

"You wouldn't have the guts."

Jessica shook her head, and said, "Fine, since you don't want our help. You can deal with whoever is following you on your own," before letting the woman fall to the ground, and saying, "We're leaving."

Ashley then said, "Shepard, I know that you're mad at her, but this is my mom we're talking about. Couldn't we stay and try to figure it out without her knowing?"

"Sorry, Ash, but I'm not going to do it. If she won't show any respect or at least give us some common courtesy, she'll have to handle her problems on her own."

"I understand, Shepard." Ashley said. When they reached the shuttle, they were approached by a single man, his face torn up on the left side. He said, "You're Shepard, right?"

"Yes," she replied, "who are you?"

"I'm just someone who has a grudge against that bitch Eleanor Williams. I'm wondering if you'd be interested in helping me out."

"You have my attention, what is it?"

"Well, as I'm sure you're aware, someone's been following her. I don't know who, but I'd like it if you could track this person down, and give them this." He said, pulling out a pistol.

"Sorry, I'm not going to help you murder the mother of a member of my crew."

He sighed. "I had hoped that this wouldn't happen. Open fire!"

Two girls and a man popped out from behind crates that had lain scattered around the spaceport, weapons blazing. Jessica and Miranda created a large barrier to block the rounds, holding it long enough for Kasumi and Ashley to get to separate pieces of cover.

Then, the Commander and her XO dove in opposite directions, firing rounds from their Harrier and Locust respectively. Rolling into cover, Jessica lobbed an arc grenade towards the group, but an enemy round hit it in midair, causing it to detonate before it could give them any trouble.

Kasumi, meanwhile, had cloaked, and snuck behind the group. She pulled out her pistol and shot one through the heart, before cloaking again and falling back to cover.

This created an opening for Ashley to throw a frag grenade behind the hostile's cover, which caused them to scramble over it and sprint towards other crates.

Before they had the chance, Jessica and Miranda precisely fired three rounds into each of the fleeing hostiles. The first round hit one in the lower abdomen, the second hit another in the heart, and the third in the last one's head. With the three remaining enemies down, Jessica put her Harrier away. "Things just got interesting. Ash, it looks like we will be staying."

"Thanks, Shepard." The soldier replied.

"No problem. I think we're going to have to pay her another visit." Jessica said, pulling out her Reegar Carbine. They marched through the almost deserted colony, watching the near lifeless streets move at a sleepy pace. When they finally reached Eleanor's house, Jessica kicked the door twice. The first kick left a dent in the frame, the second made it collapse. She fired a stream of lightning into the room before she looked looked around, to see a very frightened Eleanor Williams in the kitchen.

"What are you doing in my house, Shepard!?"

"We were just attacked by a group of people who wanted to kill you. So, I want to know what the hell you did to piss off so many people."

She looked in the Commander's eyes, and saw the kind of determination that marked a career soldier. She said, "Maybe you really are a daughter of John Shepard. I pissed off the entire colony in that I didn't conform to their views on people with your condition."

"I would suggest against using that term when faced with someone who has a shotgun that spews out lightning who happens to think it isn't a disease."

"Alright, fine. Those who attacked you were the worst of them. I don't know who's been following me, but I know that it's probably a member of their... community."

"Where do these people stay?"

"They've got houses throughout the colony, but most of them congregated on the far eastern side."

"We'll go find out about it. Ash, you might want to stay here and make sure your mom's okay while we find out what we can."

"I'm going with you, Sheard. That way I can give the person who's been following my mom a piece of mind."

"Alright." Jessica said, walking out, tailed by Miranda, Ashley, and Kasumi. When they reached the area where most of the homosexuals stayed, they were ambushed by three girls, who fired katana shotguns at them. Jessica, being at the front of the group, took the brunt of the attack, and was knocked to the ground. A few moments later, she saw Miranda's omni-tool light up, and then felt her armor's medi-gel dispensers kick in, quickly sealing the wound.

Groaning, Jessica also saw that the three were now pinned to the ground by Miranda's biotics. Turning to them, she asked, "Why'd you shoot me?"

"We saw you talk to the bitch who won't listen to reason. Figured you agreed with her." said one of them, an Asian woman with short brown hair.

"I brought my girlfriend with me," Jessica said, "doesn't that prove that I don't agree with her?"

"Didn't know that. Who is it? The one in the hood? Or maybe the girl in the red armor?"

"The girl in the red armor. We're looking for the person who is going after Eleanor Williams."

"Why?" Asked a girl with ridiculously long green hair.

Ashley said, "She's my mom."

"Oh, I'm sorry for you." the third woman said, "That must have been annoying, growing up with her."

Miranda said, "We didn't come here to talk about that... woman. We're here to find whoever is following her."

"Oh, that would be Jason. He goes both ways, but prefers to go for girls. He's in the biggest house in the area. You can't miss it."

"Thanks." Jessica said, "You can release them, Miri."

"Alright, but if they shoot at us again, I'm not going to be so merciful."

"I'm sure you wouldn't, babe. But we've got work to do for now."

Miranda nodded, and walked beside Jessica until they reached Jason's house. He opened the door wearing a ski mask, and swung a machete in front of Jessica, just barely missing her. However, he did not expect her to be so heavily armed, and got two rounds to the chest. He groaned, getting back up. "You didn't have to shoot me, you know. What if I hadn't been wearing protective gear?"

"You didn't have to swing a machete at me." She shot back. "And if you hadn't been wearing protective gear, you'd have gotten what you deserved."

"I was hoping for a different reaction. You know, a quick scream, then I'd take the mask off and charm you with my good looks."

"It wouldn't work, all it did was show that you're a total ass." Kasumi said.

"Oh, a fourth girl. If you're interested, we could have a party up in my room."

All four said, "Not interested" in unison. Miranda flared her biotics a little.

"Okay, so what do you lovely ladies want?"

"We've been informed that you've been following the mother of one of my people. I want to know why." Jessica said.  
"Oh, who's the Williams kid?"

"That would be me." Ashley said.

"Damn, I guess you got your looks from your dad's side. Because, wow, you look fine."

"Just answer the damn question." Jessica said.

"Alright, though I think we'd all have more fun up in my room."

Miranda said, "Do we need to make it more clear that we aren't interested?"

"No, I got the point the first time you all said no. And when your redhead friend shot me in the gut twice."

"It wasn't the gut. It was closer to the heart." Jessica flatly replied.

"Whatever. Anyways, I've been following the Williams chick because I can tell that she's up to something. I was stuck with her when the Collectors hit the colony, and she wasn't surprised at all. She just said, 'It figures that this would happen to this place.' What kind of bitch says that when you see the Collectors abduct most of a colony?"

"Mom's never been one for accepting homosexuality. She probably just saw it as God punishing the colony for its sins."

"Whatever, I've been following her, and she only caught on a few days ago. Figures she'd go running for help immediately. What are you going to do to me?"

Jessica pulled out her Reegar Carbine, and said, "We're going to give you a warning to leave Eleanor alone that you will never forget. Take your shirt off."

He grinned, and said, "I knew you were interested." before doing as he was told. Then, Jessica walked a good deal away from him, confusing him, until she pulled the trigger on the shotgun in her hands, and it flew right up to his chest, burning the flesh, but not causing any permanent damage. She saw a pair of guys looking at her, and she said, "You're wasting your time. Why don't you take him to the hospital?"  
They just nodded, and picked him up before running towards the hospital.

Ashley then said, "I think we can go tell mom that we've taken care of the problem."

"There's something going on here." Miranda said.

Jessica replied, "You're right. Did you notice how quickly those two showed up after I shocked that Jason prick? It was almost instantaneous. We're going to have to look around a bit more first."

Ashley nodded, heading east. Jessica said, "Miranda, you've got the west part. Kasumi, you've got the south. I'll handle the north."

"Understood." Miranda said, giving Jessica a quick peck on the cheek, before walking off towards the west.

"Alright, Shep." Kasumi replied, running off towards the south.

Jessica calmly walked through the area, feeling as if there were eyes on her all the way down the road, even though almost no one was there. She hacked the door of a house, and entered it, seeing that there was no one inside. She walked into the bedroom, and there was still no one. Just as she turned to leave the room, the ground beneath the building caved, and she fell with it, into the newly formed hole. Fear crept through her as she saw the size of it. This looked a hell of a lot like the hole a thresher maw made when it moved through the ground.

As she looked for a way out, and saw that there was none, panic began to encroach upon her. _'I'm __trapped in a thresher's den. This is not good. And, my omni-tool can't get a signal out. There's no way for me to get out of here.'_

Meanwhile, Ashley was walking around the eastern part of the town, when she was jumped by three men, who quickly forced a gag to her mouth, and she felt the sedative on it try to bring her down. She fought it like she'd been trained, but it was impossible to hold out forever, especially while the guys were punching her. As she fell cold, she thought, _'Oh shit, I hope mom's okay.'_

A few hours passed, when Ashley woke up and saw that Jessica was sitting by her. "Did they get you too?"

"The building I was in collapsed. I've been stuck in here for hours. Before they threw you in here, I thought that it was a thresher den."

"At least it's just a cell. But, why are they doing this?"

Jessica began, "Because," when she was interrupted by Miranda and Kasumi being thrown in as well. The Commander finished, "They've been implanted with control chips. Everyone in that part of town was implanted, probably before they even came here. Most likely they were sleeper agents, and when your mom showed up, they saw it as a chance to get to me through my crew. We'll have to find a way to get out of here."

Ashley just nodded, asking, "Have you checked where the tunnel leads?

"No, but it can't be anywhere good. There is a good chance that it's something that those assholes thought was too dangerous to fight, which is why they let us keep our weapons. Either that, or they didn't have the wit to take them from us."

Miranda said, "Probably the latter. How are we going to get out of here? We can't contact the Normandy, since we can't get a signal through the bedrock."

"We'll have to go through the tunnels. Hopefully it will lead somewhere." Jessica said as she prepped her Cain, "And if it leads to a thresher maw, stay behind me."

"We'll be sure to do that, Shep. Now let's get going." Kasumi said.

They all nodded and headed down the tunnel. Going through it, they heard a faint noise, and it grew ever louder. As they got closer, Jessica said, "It's not a thresher.

"How can you be sure?" Ashley inquired.

"Because, that noise is distinctly different from what they make. I don't know what it is, but it's coming from further in." the Commander replied, slowly walking down the path. As they continued down it, the noise grew louder and louder. Slowly rising from a faint buzz, to a roar that made them have to activate their equipment's sound buffers. Time seemed to crawl as they walked through the tunnel. The sound that was akin to a buzz, but the volume of a roar grew ever louder. Until finally they saw what was creating it. A massive creature, almost the size of Sovereign was trapped. It bore an appearance akin to the Reaper, and was making the noise as its 'voice' drowned out all other sound, it turned an eye towards Shepard, and it placed a pressure on all of their minds. The screaming died away, and instead, there was a deep voice, that said, "Why have you come here? None who my thralls sent before made it this far. My voice has always slain them before. Leaving them easy prey for me."

Jessica replied, "What the hell are you?"

"I am something older than you could comprehend. Something that predates the Reapers."

"How did you survive this long? The cycles have gone on for billions of years.

"I do not speak to thralls or food. You will bend to my will!"

"No, tell me who you are."

"I am the Leviathan. You are my food."

"No I'm not. We need to leave, and you will let us."

It laughed, and said, "No, worm. I will not. Prepare to die and become part of the greater whole." It then stood to its full height. It was now a good fifteen-hundred feet high. "You will not know the end of this day."

Shepard laughed. "No, _you _won't see the end, Leviathan," before running backwards, followed by the rest of the ground team. Slowly charging up the Cain, she ran, but then, a large chunk of rock fell from the roof, taking down her shields. It also caused her to release the trigger, and she had to start charging it again while the Leviathan approached.

It continued to attack, but now the Warrior was bringing up biotic shields to protect Jessica from the rubble that the moving Leviathan caused to fall. When the Cain was finally ready, the single round it fired was wrapped up in biotics by both Jessica and Miranda, increasing the power with which it hit the massive creature greatly. But it did not die. It writhed in pain, but it was still alive.

Jessica turned to Miranda, who nodded, pulling out the Collector Particle Beam. She fired it into the spot that Jessica had hit with the Cain, while everyone else fired their weapons on the massive creature. It writhed in agony, but would not fall.

After going through dozens of thermal clips, and over five hundred rounds from all of their weapons, the ground team finally hit a spot that froze the Leviathan in its tracks. It stood still, and Jessica pulled out the Cain once more. "Ash, I need some cells for this. You've got some for your heavy weapon, so throw them over here!"  
Ashley nodded, tossing it to Jessica, who caught it and quickly put it in her own weapon. Charging up the weapon she aimed at the center of the damage of the stunned creature, and fired it once more. But this time, the warhead was on a delay, so it did not detonate until after entering the creatures flesh, and when it did detonate. It split the behemoth in two, and it thrashed for a few more moments, before laying still, life now gone from it.

Ashley said, "What the hell was that thing?"

"I don't know." Jessica said.

Miranda looked at it, and said, "It was massive. But we need to find a way out of here."  
"You're right, we need to get moving. Who knows what that thing was trying to do to our heads." Jessica said, walking down the now silent path. Hours passed, and the team started to get worn out, but there was no end in sight. They had no rations, and there was no end that they could find.

They frequently checked if they could get a signal out with their omni-tools, but there was no such luck. In the silence, they were lost in thought, until Jessica broke it, saying, "We need to get some rest, and this is as good of a place as any in this hell hole. We're clearly not going to get out of here today."

They just nodded, trying to keep from losing any liquid they could avoid.

-=0=-

While Jessica and the others were walking through the cave, Thane, Samara, and Grunt had finished doing a scan of the enormous tunnel from space, and they could tell that it was over forty miles long. And about a quarter mile high. They had each taken a skycar from the colony, and were currently driving it to the far edge of the tunnel. When they finally did reach it, they drove in, and went ever deeper. After another ten miles, they saw the camp set up by the group. They were fast asleep, so they didn't notice the skycars arrive and land. It was only when Thane shook Kasumi that they were alerted to the presence of the group. The assassin said, "You four were gone for far too long, what happened?"

"A few of the colonists trapped us in this cave, then a thing that looked like a Reaper, but was smaller, tried to kill us." Ashley said.

Thane nodded, "We've got cars to get you out of here."

Jessica said, "I'll drive one. Thane, Ash, you've got the other two." Then she grinned, saying, "I do want to know what you were thinking when you let Grunt drive a skycar."

The krogan laughed. "He knew that we would need more than two cars to get back safely, Shepard." He slammed his fists together as he spoke.

"Figures. Alright, we need to move out. Thanks for finding us, guys. Thought we were going to be stuck in here for a lot longer."

"It's only ten miles to the exit." Thane replied.

Jessica said, "That's the best news I've heard all day." while she got into a car, followed by Ashley and Miranda. Samara and Kasumi got into another, and Thane and Grunt took the last one. The assassin lead the group through the tunnel, and when they got out, headed towards the colony. When they were in sight of, Jessica split away from the rest of the group, and went to Eleanor's house. Ashley got out, and saw that the older woman was sitting in her living room with a hole in her chest and head. Life gone from her, and a note left beside her. It said, _'If you want to fight for your revenge, then come alone to the far eastern section of the colony. If you bring anyone else, Williams, I will have my men destroy the colony. _

_Jeremy Hastings.'_

"That son of a bitch." Ashley said.

"Who is he?"

"A guy I served with before Eden Prime. He was a horrible soldier, was always drunk on duty, never did his job right. After a while, I informed our superiors, and a few months later he was dishonorably discharged."

"So, he wants revenge, and killed your mother because of it. But he wasn't seen."

Miranda then said, "I noticed something while we were flying here, that entire part of town looked worse than the rest. There were people laying in the streets. Maybe he killed them, and left their bodies to rot."

"Or it's just a trap for me." Ashley said.

"You won't be going in there without backup. Miranda, you know how to use a sniper rifle, don't you?" Jessica asked.

"Of course. I'm not as good as you, Garrus, Zaeed, or Thane, but I know how to use one."

"Alright, Ash, give Miranda your sniper rifle."

"Understood, ma'am." the soldier said, handing it to the sentinel.

"Good, Miri and I will be on top of the tower in the distance. From there, we should have a clear shot at this Hastings guy."

Ashley said, "I'll be the one to kill him, Shepard. He murdered my mother, and for that he's going to pay."

"Alright, but don't do anything you'd regret, Ash." Jessica said, walking out, and entering the skycar.

Ashley stood there, in her mother's home sitting beside the dead woman for a while, thinking, _'Why did this have to happen to you? Why did you have to die because of me? Is this the will of God, or the actions of the devil? What if...'_ horror filled Ashley as the thought crossed her mind, _'what if there isn't really a divine power out there. Surely God would have kept you safe. Now can't have been your time to die. There was still so much you could have done for this place. I suppose that He just decided to re-unite you with dad.'_ she closed her mother's eyes, and only then noticed the multitude of tears that had fallen down her face and onto her armor. She turned to the note once again, and anger filled her heart as she thought of the man who had killed her mother. She reached to her back and made sure that both her assault rifle and shotgun were there. Then, she turned and exited the building, and headed towards the eastern part of town.


	57. Chapter 56: Hunting the Ardat Yakshi

Ashley walked quietly through the colony, pulling out her vindicator assault rifle. When she reached the far east part of the colony, she saw a small man flanked by three krogan. He said, "I didn't expect you to come alone."

"I won't need backup to kill you, Hastings." she replied.

"You're a fool if you really think that. I've got three krogan, you're going solo."

"I've fought geth, krogan don't compare to them."

"The geth would get their metal asses handed to them by a krogan."

"You clearly never fought the geth. You weren't on Eden Prime when they attacked."

"Eden Prime was a surprise attack, Williams." Hastings said, pulling out his pistol and firing on Ashley. She rolled out of the way, firing her vindicator into one of his body guards. The krogan laughed, but then, the three-round burst that had hit it detonated, taking down his shields. Ashley smirked and turned to the other two guards. They tried to avoid the burst, but their lumbering bodies were too large. Their shields collapsed, and Ashley threwa grenade into the group. The explosive device did not hit them.

One of the krogan roared and charged at her, but his head exploded**, **and he fell to the ground. Hastings said, "So you didn't come alone. I'm not surprised."

Ashley spoke from behind her cover, "Shepard wasn't going to let me go in here alone."

He laughed. "Typical. Never go anywhere if you don't know you have a sure way out." His two assistants fell dead as he spoke.

-=0=-

Jessica said, "You're good with that Viper. Maybe you should take a sniper with you more often. Also, it looks really hot."

Miranda replied, "Glad that you like it. That shot you pulled off was pretty impressive."

"Eh, I've done better. I was aiming for a bit lower on the head, that way it would have a more... spectacular effect on him."

"It blew a krogan's head into pieces. I'd say that's a pretty spectacular effect."

"I was trying to get a good portion of his torso too." Shepard said with a grin on her face.

Miranda chuckled. "Maybe you'll get a chance to next time we fight a krogan. But didn't he say he'd have his men eliminate the colony if she didn't go alone?"

"He didn't really have anyone to kill the colony. He expected her to follow his orders, so he didn't have men to kill the colonists. And even if he did, we'd see signs of it from up here, and be able to take out the attackers."

Miranda nodded, and turned to focus on what was going on down by Ashley.

-=0=-

Ashley was pinned behind cover while Hastings fired round after round from his Avenger rifle. When he finally quit shooting, she popped out of cover, throwing a flash grenade behind his cover. He covered his eyes as the grenade detonated, temporarily blinding him. Ashley used the distraction to move from her current cover and attack Hastings left flank. She fired a burst from her Vindicator, then put it away, and pulled out her Eviscerator shotgun. She walked up to him, kicking him into the ground. He groaned, "What was that for?"

"Why did you kill my mom?" Ashley asked, her voice thick with anger.

"To get to you. I figured that it would get your attention."

"She didn't deserve to die." Ashley said, placing a foot over Hastings' throat.

He said, "She was just as bad as you are."

Then, Jessica said over the comm line, "Ash, hurry up, we need to get moving."

Ashley nodded, and fired a single shot from her shotgun into Hastings. He let out a shout of pain, which was quickly cut off by Ashley crushing his throat with her boot.

She turned and walked away, saying, "I'm ready to leave this colony, Shepard. There's no reason to stay here."

Jessica said, "Got it. Meet us at the spaceport."

A few minutes later, Ashley walked into the shuttle, and Jessica said, "I'm sorry about your mom, Ash. There was nothing I could do."

Ashley said, "I know that you would have helped her if you could, Skipper. And I'm fine."

Miranda said, "From what you did out there, I'd have to say that you should talk to someone."

"I'm fine, Miranda." Ashley repeated.

Miranda nodded, and was about to take the controls when someone hit the door. She turned around, and opened the door, seeing that it was Cortez. He said, "Commander, I'd like to come with you on your mission."

Jessica asked, "Are you sure? We'll be going through the Omega 4 relay."

"I'm absolutely positive. Those bastards took Roger from me, and I'll do what I can to help you make them pay."

"You can come, Cortez. But if you choose revenge over the mission, I'll be dropping you off at the first civilized place we land at. Understood?"  
"Yes, Ma'am." he replied, "If you want, I can fly your shuttle for you. I've got years of experience."

Jessica nodded, saying, "That sounds good to me."

He smiled for once, and entered the cockpit. A few moments later, the shuttle rose into the air, and flew to the Normandy. Once they were on the ship, Jessica said, "Joker, set course for Omega."

"Got it." he said, and set course for the relay.

Jessica sighed, saying, "I'm going to get some sleep. EDI, let me know when we arrive at Omega."

"Understood, Commander." the AI said.

"That doesn't sound like a VI." Cortez noted.

"The Normandy has an AI." Miranda answered before walking to the elevator behind Jessica.

As the elevator closed, Jessica said, "Soon we'll have this mission over. Then we'll finally have time to relax. Maybe take a vacation on earth. It should be really nice in Oregon by the Pacific."

"There are some amazing places in China. So many of the views are breathtaking."

"I've never been to China." Jessica said.

"Really? We'll have to go there sometime."

"Alright, though we won't go skydiving."

"I thought you liked skydiving."

The smile that had been on Jessica's face faded, and she said, "Ever since the Normandy was destroyed, even jumping down a couple of stories terrifies me."

Jessica faded out, her breathing becoming sporadic. She started to shake, and broke out in a cold sweat. Miranda wrapped her arms around her. "It's alright. You aren't there anymore."

Jessica shook her head. "Sorry, sometimes I just get pulled back there."

Miranda said, "It's fine." while the elevator door opened. The two quickly got out of their armor, and dropped into their bed. Miranda cuddled up to Jessica, and the Commander wrapped an arm around her.

-=0=-

_Jessica's past, Elysium. _

_Captain Hendriks said, "Shepard! Get moving towards the southern edge of the colony! Send a report after you've found out why everyone there went quiet."_

_She responded, "Yes, sir. Am I going in solo, or will I have a team?"_

_"You'll be going in alone, Shepard. There shouldn't be anything that you can't handle. Especially after Akuze."_

_She nodded and walked away. When she approached the sector that had gone quiet, she saw an enormous group of batarians. She swore under her breath, and her eyes narrowed in anger. She quickly sent Captain Hendriks a message informing him that it was batarians, before she pulled out her assault rifle, and opened fire on the leader. _

_The rounds flew into the batarian, and he fell dead to the ground. The enormous group turned to Shepard, who said, "Bring it, you bastards." _

_The batarians laughed, and opened fire on her. She took cover, but the rounds were damaging the large rock rather quickly. She popped out of cover, and opened fire on the group with her assault rifle and then dove away from them, landing in a nearby building. Her omni-tool began beeping, so she hit a key on it. _

_Hendriks said, "Shepard, what are you doing!"_

_"Engaging the enemy, sir!" she replied, lobbing a pair of grenades into the batarian horde, but a round pierced her shields, and hit her armor. The round flew clear through her shoulder, and she said, "I'll be fine, but the batarians are moving away from me. They are headed towards the main colony. They're trying to do to Elysium what they did to Mindoir. I'm not letting any of them get away from me."_

_"Shepard, you'll get yourself killed if you try to do that!"_

_"I know, if I don't make it, tell my mom I love her." She said, cutting off communications, firing an incineration blast into the batarians. They turned towards her, and fired again. She took cover, prepping a special grenade. She counted silently, '1, 2... 3,' before lobbing it out of the shack, which she then moved through, while the device created a small nuclear blast, taking out a good two dozen batarians._

_They shouted at her, but she kept moving. While they wasted heat firing at her previous position, she pulled out a grenade launcher and fired it into the group. The grenades took out a good few batarians, but it wasn't enough, and now they were firing on her again. She sprinted through the area, finding a large rock to hide behind while the batarians fired on her. _

_Then a grenade flew over her cover, detonating almost immediately after landing, taking out her shields along with her cover. She swore, and ran through the storm of their rounds once more. They put several holes in her armor, but the omni-gel quickly took care of those piercings. However, she hadn't taken much medigel, and her supply was running low. She managed to find the cover of an entire building between the batarians and the main colony. _

_The batarians kept firing and firing, the air above her beginning to reek of the stench of eezo as the multitude of rounds filled the smell made Shepard cough, but it was not enough to make her quit fighting the batarians. _

_As the battle dragged on. Shepard grew more and more tired, until she was panting behind cover, waiting for backup. Then, after four hours, there were finally reinforcements. Two dozen makos, thirty marines on foot, and a couple of fighters entered the area, and opened fire on the batarian forces. The exhausted N7 marine tossed up a small signal flare, and a pair of medics ran her way. The first one, an elderly woman with graying hair, asked, "What's your name, soldier?"_

_"Jessica Shepard, and you are?"_

_"Karin Chakwas, we need to get you out of here." _

_"No, I've got to make sure that the batarians won't get through!"_

_"Listen, Shepard, you are seriously injured. It's a miracle you lasted as long as you did. We have to get you back to the colony, or you will die out here. Your wounds aren't too bad right now, but you are not in good enough shape to be in a firefight!"_

_"Fine, but I'll take as many of them with me as I can." Shepard replied._

_Chakwas looked in the marine's eyes, and said, "I see. You've been through hell one too many times, so you think you have nothing left to live for. Well, you'll have to get that out of your head. Even if there's no personal connection for you, the Alliance needs soldiers like you."_

_She sighed, and said, "Fine." _

_Chakwas smirked, and said, "You'll thank me later." before helping Shepard away from the battle. Ten minutes later, they were in a shuttle heading towards the main colony. When they arrived, Chakwas had Shepard taken to the hospital._

_Inside, Chakwas asked, "Why were you trying to get yourself killed, marine?"_

_"I'm sure you've looked at my file on the ride here. If not, you should look up Mindoir."_

_"You were there?"_

_"Yeah. I saw those sons of bitches kill my father. I had them drop him on the pile of corpses I was hiding under, as well as my sisters. This was a chance to get revenge against those bastards."_

_"Well, I'd say it's safe to say that you got your payback."_

_"The one who led the attack on Mindoir is still alive. So, I haven't gotten my revenge."_

_Chakwas shook her head, and said, "You may see things that way, but I'm sure the Alliance would be grateful if you got the idea of revenge out of your head."_

_Shepard laughed, and said, "Oh, the Alliance tried to beat it out of me. During my N7 training, they had several tasks that they thought would get me to give it up."_

_The Doctor nodded, and left the room, saying, "We'll release you tomorrow."  
Shepard didn't reply, but instead tried to relax in her bed. _

_Chakwas came back to check Shepard's vitals, and heard the marine mumbling in her sleep, "Miri, don't ask me to leave you here. I can get you both out!"_

_Chakwas thought, 'Strange that an N7 would talk in her sleep. Must be in worse condition than I thought.' but when she double checked the vitals and neurological activity, it looked no worse than her first quick check had told her. 'Must just be something very personal. I'll have to look into it tomorrow.'_

_The next morning Chakwas entered the room Shepard was in, and asked, "How are you doing?"_

_"I've felt better." _

_"What's the issue? Are any of the wounds hurting?"_

_"It doesn't matter, I can still do my job fine."_

_"Is it about someone called Miri?"_

_"How do you know about that? It wasn't in my file." Shepard said, her omni-tool lighting up threateningly_

_"I was sent to check your condition last night, and you started mumbling about someone named Miri."_

_"What did I say?"_

_"You asked her to not ask you to leave her somewhere. That you could get her and someone else both out."_

_Shepard lowered her omni-tool, and said, "Can I get going?"_

_"You're free to leave, but if you do, I'll have to put this in my report on your condition. I'd rather not, seeing as it seems to be very personal to you, but I have to know ."_

_"It doesn't matter."_

_"If you were talking about it in your sleep, it has to have some kind of relevance."_

_"You want to know about it? Ask my mom, she's more willing to talk about it than I am."_

_"Shepard, I need to know before I file my report. I won't be able to talk to your mother before then."_

_Shepard sighed, and said, "She was the only person I've ever loved. Her father murdered her, and I couldn't do anything. Today's the only day it will be a big issue, and there's nothing that requires me to be at my peak. So, is that enough to keep it out of your report?"_

_Chakwas saw the pain in Shepard's eyes, and while she clearly didn't feel fully satisfied with the amount of information, said, "Yes, you can go without worrying about it."_

_Shepard walked out, and headed to her quarters. When she finally got to the small room, she curled into a ball against a wall and started crying._

-=0=-

Jessica woke up in the loft, and turned to smile at Miranda sleeping in her arms. A small smile across the woman's face. A single hair had dropped down on the woman's face, but Jessica gently moved it behind her ear. A few moments later, EDI popped up, and said, "We will be arriving on Omega in twenty minutes."

Miranda groggily mumbled, "What did you say, EDI?"

"We will be arriving on Omega in twenty minutes."

That fully woke Miranda up, and she said, "Thanks, EDI, that'll be all." Miranda tried to get up, but Jessica was holding her in bed, saying softly, "Let's stay in bed for a couple more minutes. I don't have to get ready to go to Omega for a little bit longer."

"You know I'm going with you." Miranda said firmly.

"I'd love to have you along, Miri, but this is too personal for Samara. It would be best if there as few people as possible present."

"How is this personal for her?"

"Didn't I tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Must have forgotten. Miranda, the Ardat Yakshi is one of her daughters."

There was shock clear in Miranda's eyes, and she placed a hand on her stomach, then said, "That's horrible. I can see why she won't want many people around." She opened the bedside table's drawer, and handed a pair of small silver buttons to Jessica.

When she looked at it with confusion, Miranda said, "It's a small two-way communications device linked to my omni-tool. That way I'll know exactly what's going on, and we can keep in touch while you're out there."

"Got it." Jessica said grabbing them both. She walked over to the armor locker, and pulled out a suit of Kestrel armor. She quickly put it on, and Miranda said, "Well, if you're wearing that, you won't need to  
have those on the suit. Just let me link my omni-tool to the cameras and communicator."

"Got it." Jessica said. Once that was done, the Commander wrapped her arms around Miranda in a tight hug. Before walking to the elevator, and heading down to the CIC, with Miranda at her side, holding her hand. In the CIC, the pair was greeted by Kelly, who said, "You have unread messages at your private terminal."

"Thanks." Jessica said, "You look like you had a good time with Kasumi."

"Oh, you wouldn't believe it. But Kas would probably be upset if I talked about it."

"Probably." Jessica agreed, while quickly reading her mail. Taking a bit more time to read the one detailing Samara's plan to get Morinth somewhere that she could be killed without civilian casualties. Miranda looked quite upset about it, but didn't say anything. They then walked up to the airlock where Samara was already waiting. The Justicar said, "Commander."

"You ready to do this?"

"Of course, Shepard." The asari confidently replied.

"Good. Miri, see you when we get back." Jessica said.

"Let's hope that's pretty soon. I'll be worried sick about you until this mission's over."

"I'll be fine. Samara's got my back."

Samara said, "Do not worry, Miranda, I will not allow Morinth to kill Shepard."

"You better, because if she is..."

Jessica then said, "Don't worry. I won't let Morinth do anything to me. Though, I still can't believe your plan."

"It's the safest way to handle this. We do not want to kill any civilians, or risk her escaping."

"Yeah, I just don't like it." Jessica said, as they walked towards Afterlife. But, a group of batarians and turians were blocking the entrance.

The leader, a batarian, said, "Aria doesn't want you in Afterlife, she says that there is nothing that she has to discuss with you."

Jessica laughed, "Tell her that if she's that desperate, I'm sure there are plenty of other people who would sleep with her. Keeping me out of Afterlife won't get her in my pants."

The batarian growled, "This isn't about her trying to get laid."

"Right." Jessica said, walking away. Then, she walked to the far side of Afterlife, and she brought up her omni-tool. A few moments later, she was into Aria's systems, and said, "Someone's been bringing complaints to Aria. Not unexpected, but what it says is unexpected. And, explains why she's closed down Afterlife. A woman's been reporting that her daughter, who died of a hemorrhage, was killed by an asari. She even gave a name, Morinth."

"Aria would know that it was an Ardat Yakshi who killed this woman's daughter. Does it say where she lives?"

"No, but it says that she said that if Aria wouldn't listen or do anything, she'd tell everyone on the street about what happened to her Nef. On Omega that isn't a smart move. Someone will know something."  
Samara nodded, and followed Shepard into a nearby shopping district. There, they saw a store owned by a young male quarian.

He said, "Welcome to Kenn's Shack, how can I help you?"

"What's a kid like you doing on Omega? You don't seem like the typical inhabitant of Omega."

"It isn't important."

"It may not be important to you, but this doesn't seem like a good place for you. I doubt there's much to eat. I might be able to help you."

"You and every other merc on Omega."

She laughed, and asked, "Kid, do you know who I am?"

"No, should I?"

"My name's Shepard. You've probably heard of me."

"Wait, Shepard? As in,_the_ Commander Shepard? The Savior of the Citadel?"

"One and the same." she said.

"Well, you've always been a friend of the Migrant Fleet, so I guess I can tell you. I came here on my Pilgrimage, but all of my credits were stolen within an hour of arriving. I've been trying to get the credits to get off of this hellhole, but Harrot makes it really hard. I can't sell for cheaper than him, so I'm barely scraping by. Much less saving up for a ticket off of this rock."

"How much do you need?"

"I couldn't ask you to pay for my way off of Omega. This is my mistake on my Pilgrimage. I have to fix it on my own."

"I respect that. How about I pay you, if you tell me something I'm interested in? Would that count as fixing your mistake without charity?"

"I suppose. But, I don't know too much."

"Lately there's been a woman going around Omega telling everyone how her kid, a girl named Nef, was murdered by an asari named Morinth. But, the doctors say it was of natural causes? That sound familiar?"

"Yeah, she came up to me about it. I didn't know anything about it, but I made sure that she got to her place safely. If her daughter was murdered, chances are the killer will go after her."

"Where does she live?"

"She's in the apartment complex where there was the quarantine a while back."

"Got it. How much do you want for this intel?"

"A couple hundred credits would be sufficient."

"How much do you need to get off Omega?"

"I need two thousand credits, but I couldn't possibly ask that much for what I told you."

Jessica nodded, and looked at what he had in his shop. She bought a few parts, and a hacking module that made it harder for the firewalls to notice what was happening. The quarian said, "Thank you so  
much! Now I'll be able to leave this hellhole."

"Just doing what I can to help, Kenn. Good luck on your pilgrimage."

"Thank you again. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Don't worry about it. Just do what you can to help the fleet. The ships will need to be retrofitted soon. Maybe you'll be able to get some stuff to do that on the Citadel. If anyone gives you trouble, just show  
them this." Jessica said, handing him a small N7 medallion. She pressed the button, and it said, "I'm Commander Shepard, and if you mess with the holder of this token, you'll have me to answer to. And, I won't show you any mercy, got it punk?"

Kenn took it, and quickly thanked her again, before running off to buy his ticket. As they walked to Nef's mother's home, Samara asked, "Why did you have something like that?"

"I had them made last time we were in civilized space. Figured it would be good to have some way to make sure that my non-combatant friends are safe. This seemed like as good a means as any."

Samara laughed, and said, "You are very strange for a human."

"Nothing wrong with being strange." she said as they entered the apartment complex. Jessica walked around, and found the apartment Nef and her mother had been staying in, and said, "This is it."

"Let's find what we need, and get moving." Samara said, as she opened the door.

Jessica walked in first, and said, "You're Nef's mother, right?"

"Yes, and I bet you're working for that damn Morinth!"

"No, I'm Commander Shepard of the Normandy. My friend and I are hunting her, so we can kill her."

The woman looked surprised, then said, "Really?" desperation and curiosity clear in her voice.

"Really. Samara here is a Justicar, an asari who has dedicated her life to hunting down individuals like the one who killed your Nef."

"Well, what do you need?"

"We need to know where Nef met Morinth, as we believe that it's her hunting ground."

"I don't know that. Nef never told me much about that damn asari. But, whenever she talked about her, Nef's eyes lit up like I'd never seen."

Samara said, "She was manipulating Nef, making her think that she was in love. I have seen her do it before."

"That's terrible!"

"Indeed, but with your help, we will kill her, and make so that your daughter is her final victim."

"Maybe there's something in Nef's room. I seriously hope that you find Morinth, and make her pay."

"We will." Jessica said, walking to Nef's room. Inside, she grabbed a datapad and flipped through it. Then, she heard crying from the other room.

Samara walked out, and asked, "What is wrong?"

"I just miss Nef so much. It's horrible."

"I know what it is like to lose a daughter. The pain will fade with time. You are strong, and will be able to survive past this, and even live once again."

"Maybe, life just seems so much more hollow now that Nef is gone. My baby... dead." the woman said, sobbing.  
Samara placed a hand on her shoulder, and stood there quietly for a while. Then, Jessica walked out, and said, "I know where Morinth will be. And, how to get her apart from the crowd."  
"Good. We should return to the Normandy so you can get ready."

"You're right." the Spectre then turned to Nef's mother, and said, "Thanks to your help, Morinth will die tonight, ma'am."

"Thank you, Shepard. And, feel free to call me Diana."

"No problem, Diana." she said, while she and Samara left the apartment.

On the walk back to the Normandy, Samara asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm nervous about it, but Morinth needs to die."

"I see." Samara said.

Back at the Normandy, Miranda walked up to Jessica and Samara while they entered. She asked, "Is it time for part B?"

"Yeah." Jessica said, walking to the elevator. Inside, she quickly stripped down to her underwear, a black bra and panties of the same color. She was about to walk down to the lower level and put her armor  
away, when she felt Miranda's lips press against hers, and the raven-haired woman pressed her against the fish tank. They kissed for a little while, then Miranda removed Jessica's bra. Jessica felt heat go down to her core, but she broke it off, saying, "Let's wait until after the Ardat Yakshi is dead. Then, I'm up for going all night long."

Miranda sighed, and thought, _'I had hoped that would keep her from this. Dammit, why does she have to take such risks. Morinth could kill her while she's in there unarmed!'_

Jessica was in a short, clingy black dress with dark heels, and was fixing her hair. Then, she applied makeup and lipstick and walked to the elevator. Miranda didn't move, just sat there worrying silently.

When Jessica entered the CIC, she turned the heads of all of the men, and a few of the women, in the CIC. Several just openly stared, until she said, "Eyes back on your posts, men. Seriously, by now you should know I'm not going to be interested." before walking up to the airlock.

From the bridge, Joker said, "I take it people stared."

"Almost everyone did." Jessica replied.

"Well, you do look pretty hot in that!" when he saw Jessica's glare, he added, "I'm not going to try anything. I'm just enjoying the view."

Jessica shook her head, and said, "You get a free pass, Joker because you're my friend."  
"Got it. See you when you get back."

Jessica and Samara ignored him, and instead walked out through the airlock into Omega, and went quickly to the VIP section of Afterlife. The bouncer asked, "What's the password?"  
"Jaruut."  
The turian bouncer nodded, and let the two through.

-=0=-

While Jessica and Samara were on the Normandy, in Morinth's apartment.

The Ardat Yakshi stood quietly in her apartment, wearing nothing. She stared at a picture she had of Nef, and thought, _'Why'd you have to die? Why couldn't you have been the one to survive being with me? Why did you have such an effect on me? Why is it that for once I actually care, and they still die? Why in the goddess' name did this have to happen? And, you know what, why should I still worship the goddess? All she says is that I have to die for being dangerous. I don't want to be dangerous, but Dammit, there's no cure for being like this. If only things had been different. I suppose, that love will never work for me. I'll just have to go back to the hunter. The proud beast that kills its prey with sex. Because, I've tried to do things differently, to settle down. Then, Mother got close, and I had to move. And, because of her, I met Nef, and killed her. But, no more will I care. There's no point in trying to form meaningful relationships when you're like this. It's time to go hunting.'_she touched her 'azure' quickly, before putting on her outfit, and setting out of her apartment, and going to the VIP area of Afterlife. The turian nodded, and let her in. Then, she was lost in the music, and the thrill of the hunt.


	58. Chapter 57: Mother Vs Daughter

**A/N: Oh my god guys, I am so sorry about the long wait for this one. I just got really busy, so I couldn't do anything for this chapter. Then, the first time I wrote the Morinth part it was just not what I had hoped to convey through that one. I hope you guys aren't too upset about the wait. Anyways, I've kept you from this chapter with my own busyness/procrastination already, so without further ado, here is chapter 58. **

Jessica took a deep breath at the door in front of her. When she exhaled, she stepped forward, and her body language was vastly different. Before, it had been cautious, making sure that there was nothing around the corner. Now, it was confident, and her walk was much quicker. She walked through the hallway and was hit by the loud music of the club after she passed through the door.

The moment she entered, she was greeted by a guy, who asked, "Do you have tickets to Expel 10? I can pay you pretty well for them."

"I don't have tickets, sorry." Jessica replied, continuing to walk through the bar. The first thing she saw was a turian harassing an asari stripper. Jessica walked up to the area, and heard the turian say, "Come on baby, let's go back to my place."

"No."

"Come on, I've got credits."

"I'm a stripper, not a hooker!" she said.

The turian tried to grab the asari, but was slammed into the wall by Jessica. He looked at her, and she said, "The asari said she wasn't interested. If you're going to keep it up, you'll have me to deal with."

"I'm not afraid of you, human." he said, charging towards her.

Jessica smirked, dodging his punch and sweeping his legs out from under him. He groaned, and pulled a pistol out. He fired a single round, but it was blocked by Jessica's barrier. He fired three more rounds, but they failed to connect as well. He then pulled out a knife and continued his attack.

The N7 evaded her enemy's attacks, and then jumped over him, pushing the back of his head. He stumbled forward, and when he got back to facing her, the first thing he saw was a fist connecting with his face. Then, he swung blindly, and felt his arm break at three different places. He collapsed, and crawled away from Jessica, fear clear in his eyes.

The Commander, meanwhile, turned to the asari and said, "He shouldn't bother you, or anyone else, for a while."

"Thanks. I figured you'd just be like every other asshole here.

Jessica laughed, and said, "Oh, every asshole in this place wishes they could be like me**," **before walking away. She spent a little while dancing, but most people were watching her after a short time. Then, Miranda said, "EDI hacked into the security system, and it looks like there's someone about to murder someone else on the other side of the wall you're by. If you hurry, you should be able to stop it."

"Got it." Jessica replied, jumping so she could grab the top of the wall, and propel herself up, and land on the woman who was about to kill the guy who was talking to her.

The guy said, "Thanks. I thought she was going to kill me."

The N7 ignored him, and asked the woman, "Why were you trying to kill him?"

"That bastard cheated on me with some random stripper! He's lucky that I don't cut his dick off and make him eat it."

"You are one messed up person." Jessica said, grabbing the woman by the throat, and continued, "Just because someone cheats, doesn't give you the right to kill them, or worse."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm just someone who can kill you with ease. And, someone who's had more than her fair share of trouble. I'm just here to relax, but if you keep it up, that won't be able to happen, and I'll have to handle the situation to restore the peace of the club."

The girl nodded, and walked away from the man she'd been threatening. Jessica left that area, and was greeted by a small man who asked, "Can you help me, Shepard? It's really important."

"What is it?"

"I'm an investigative journalist, my partner and I have been looking into one of the most prominent red sand dealers in Citadel Space. We've found serious evidence on him, but he caught on to my partner. He's going to kill her to keep the news from getting out."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to get a message to her. Just say the word 'terminal' then 'eternity'. It's a code we developed to communicate in case we weren't able to actually talk."

"I'll take care of it. But, are you certain there isn't a surer way?"

"You could always kill him, but that wouldn't be smart. There would be a lot of trouble with the gangs if you killed one of the major players on Omega, not to mention a key player on the Citadel."

"I'll make sure you're partner stays safe." Jessica said, wishing she had a gun. She walked over to the man's partner, and asked, "Do you guys know where a terminal is?"

"No, go away." the man said.

"Why? Don't you have an omni-tool?" The woman asked.

"It's been broken for an eternity. I get by on terminals now."

"There's one just outside the club. Now leave us alone." the man said.

Jessica shook her head, and said, "You're a terrible actor. Put the gun away."

The guy looked shocked, and asked, "How did you know I had a gun?"

"I've had guns pointed at me a lot. So I can tell when one's trained on my fairly easily."

The guy glared, before putting the pistol away. While he had been distracted, the girl had walked away. Jessica did the same, and walked into a dark corner to get a drink. She watched the floor, and then Miranda came in through the communicator**.** "Jessica, how are you doing?"

"So far so good, but Morinth hasn't made a move yet. There any sign of her on the security systems?"

"No, if she's in the club, she's doing a good job of avoiding the cameras. Wait, there's an asari walking right towards you. Looks a lot like the last description of Morinth that the asari had. Just older."

"How far is she?"

"ETA two minutes. She has to navigate through the club first."

"Got it. I'll get a drink first. I'll need to be a little bit drunk before talking to an Ardat Yakshi, instead of just killing it with fire."

"Don't get too drunk**.** I don't want you losing your edge, Jessica."

"I'll be fine, Miri." Jessica replied, getting a bear. She downed it quickly, and then saw Morinth approach.

The Demon of the Night Winds walked up to Jessica, and said, "Hi there. My name's Morinth. I've been watching you. You're the most interesting person in this place. I've got a booth in the shadows on the other side of the club. Want to join me?"

"Sure, though, I bet you'll find me to not be as interesting as you seem to think. Just an ex-mercenary who's having some fun on Omega before she's got to fight to survive because her bosses didn't want to let her quit."

"Sounds dangerous." The asari said, heading toward her booth. Jessica quietly followed, and when they sat down, Morinth asked, "What's your name."

"Hannah."

"So, who did you work for before you left your job?"

"I was a member of the Blue Suns."

"Why'd you leave?"

"Vido Santiago, the head of the organization, wanted me to help a few other members take over a human colony on the edge of the Terminus Systems. The other Suns were batarians, so I knew what they would do to the people there. So, I told him that I wouldn't do it."

"And he wasn't willing to accept that?"

"He told me to do it despite my own opinion on it, so I told him he could go fuck himself. He got angry, and I said that I was done with the Suns. He said that I'd die then. Four batarians came out to get me, and were quickly killed by my biotics. Vido looked like he had just crapped his pants, and he ran away like a little bitch."

"You were willing to leave a high-ranking position because you didn't like a job?"

Jessica said, "You haven't seen what the batarians do to the people on human colonies they take. They rape the women they don't kill, before putting a control chip in them without using any anesthetics. Most die from the pain of the procedure. Those fuckers did it to my family, and would have done it to me, but they thought I was dead from being shot in the stomach. So, yeah, I left the Suns when Vido wanted me to help the batarians to do something like that again. If you have a problem with it, then we have nothing left to talk about, Morinth.

Morinth quickly replied, "It isn't a problem, I was just surprised. Most people are willing to overlook anything for a powerful position like that."

"Most people haven't lost their parents and seen their sisters raped by batarians, before they're turned into little more than animals."

"Anyway, how do you feel about exploration?"

"I like it. Just going out where anything could still be possible. And, the danger of it is exhilarating. The risk of colliding with a planet when in FTL because you don't know what is out there. The chance that you'll run out of fuel while not in a system that has any fuel station, or ships that crashed that hadn't spent all of theirs. And, the feeling of success you get when you land on a planet you've never heard of is like nothing else in the galaxy. What about you?"  
"I tend to find myself drifting to dark places, where there isn't anyone else. Just me and nature, in a battle of survival."

"I've always found nature to not make much of an opponent when you have an assault rifle."

Morinth laughed, and said, "You take an assault rifle with you? I thought you'd be more of an SMG kind of girl."

"SMG's are too small. You need a rifle in your hand to have any real firepower. But, enough about guns, how do you like Vaenia?"  
"I love it, the women in it are so... glamorous."

"Yeah, what about, Expel 10?"

"I love their sound. Did you hear that they're playing here in a few days?"

"That's why I came to Omega in the first place. Though, I haven't been able to get tickets to the concert yet."

"Neither have I. It would be bullshit if we missed it."

"Yeah it would. If I can't see it, I'll just go look at Forta's work on the extranet. Though, I hear it's being displayed on the Citadel soon."  
"You like Forta?"  
"His work is way different than most of the crap we get these days. It's actually sublime, instead of the work of anyone else that's actually in galleries."

"You're definitely my kind of woman," Morinth said, "so, want to go back to my place?"  
"You bet." Jessica said.

-=0=-

At the same time, Miranda contacted Samara, saying, "Jessica's gotten Morinth to invite her back to her apartment. Be ready to move."

"Thank you for the warning, I'll be ready for them when they leave the building."

"Hold on a second, it looks like they're taking a side exit. And, a skycar is waiting. You're going to have to hurry to be able to catch them." Miranda said, worriedly toying with her hair.

"I'll be quick enough. And, there is a tracker on Shepard, correct?"

"Yes, but it's not on. We didn't want to risk it making the transponder too noticeable."

"I see. If I lose them, you'll need to activate it." Samara said, as she got in a skycar, and entered traffic.

-=0=-

Meanwhile, in Morinth's car, Jessica said, "Aren't you driving a little fast?"

"Not on Omega. If you aren't driving faster than the rest of traffic, chances are you'll get your credits stolen."

"Surely you could defend yourself."

"I'm not in the mood to fight some thugs. I just want to get home so we can have some fun."

"Yeah." Jessica said, while nervously rubbing her hands together, _'I hope Samara's managing to keep up.'_ the N7 thought.

When they parked at Morinth's place, the asari guided Jessica in, and said, "Well, this is my place. Make yourself at home."

"It's nice. A lot nicer than I expected of Omega." Jessica replied, looking around and seeing dozens of pictures of Morinth and Nef. _'Strange. Why would Morinth have this many pictures of her previous victim? It was over a week ago, so it couldn't be to have the victim think that she actually cared, and just hasn't gotten around to taking care of it. Wait, is that a shrine in the back of the room?' _she wondered, and walked over to it.

While Jessica had been examining the room, Morinth said, "Just because most people are content to have their houses by a piece of shit, doesn't mean I am."

The Spectre didn't respond, but instead looked at the shrine for Nef, then asked, "Who is this girl you're with, Morinth?"

"My ex, a girl named Nef."

"What happened? She leave you?"  
"She died. Had a hemorrhage."

"That must have been tough."

There were tears in Morinth's eyes, and she said, "It is tough. But, it doesn't matter right now. Have a seat**.**" She patted the seat beside her on the leather couch.

Jessica sat down where the asari had told her to, and Morinth was immediately in her lap. The asari placed a hand on the human's chest and tried to kiss her, but Jessica dodged it, and the Ardat Yakshi ended up with her lips pressed against the couch.

Morinth got back up, and her eyes were black, and she said, "You want me. You want to do whatever I want."

Jessica said to the Warrior, _'You're up.'_

_'Got it.'_ the thing said. Then, Jessica's eyes lit up red, and she said, "You think you're a monster, but you haven't done what I have. I know you've heard of the Butcher of Torfan. The one who killed the batarians even after they had surrendered. So, why don't you get the fuck off of me, Ardat Yakshi?"  
Morinth swore, and said, "So, the bitch got a little helper. I suppose I'll have to kill you the old fashioned way to get out before it's too late."

Then, the door blew apart and in walked Samara, who said, "I'm afraid it is too late for that, Morinth."

"So, you finally managed to find me, mother."

"I am not your mother, Morinth." Samara severely replied, while using her biotics to slam Morinth into the wall.

"I can't stop being your daughter, mother. Despite how much you would want that." Morinth replied, while striking at Samara with her biotics. The two asari continued to battle in silence for a few more moments, until one of Samara's attacks went slightly off, and destroyed a pair of pictures of Morinth and Nef. The Ardat Yakshi roared in anger, almost like a krogan, and screamed, "I will tear you apart for that, bitch!" before unleashing a biotic onslaught that broke down Samara's defenses.

Then, just before Morinth could actually wound Samara, Jessica tackled the asari, and said, "Alright you two, that's enough. From both of you."

Both of the asari looked at the asari with confusion, until she said, "Before you finish this fight, you should actually talk like a family. Maybe it will help you both get some measure of peace before this ends."

"That doesn't matter." Morinth protested.

Samara was simply quiet. Then a few minutes later, she said, "There is nothing for us to discuss."

"Really? What about Morinth's reaction to what happened to the photos of Nef? Don't you want to know why a heartless killer would be angry when a pair of pictures of one of her previous victims, when there hasn't been anything like that in any previous case?"

"Morinth may act like she cared for Nef, but it is all a lie." Samara replied.

"You don't know that, mother."

"I have seen your actions before, Morinth. Did you think I would ever forget the entire village who you enthralled and then had slow me so you could escape? A creature like you could never feel love."

"You always did think I was an animal. Even before it was realized that I was an Ardat Yakshi. You said I lacked self-control. That I wouldn't be able to accomplish much if I didn't do things with the control and caution of a matriarch."

"I was saying that you were wasting your potential by not applying yourself to any one thing, but jumping from task to task. That if you didn't actually try to master a skill, you would waste your immense potential."

"I just hadn't found a job that fit me. Then, when we realized what I was, you didn't even consider what I would feel, but insisted that I be sent to the Ardat Yakshi sanctuary. That I spend the rest of my days alone where I could do nothing without a dozen officials going over the action and saying it was acceptable. That I would have to endure forced experiments to try and find a cure for my condition. That I should go where anyone with my 'condition' would be treated like lab rats." Morinth said, her biotics flaring.

Samara calmly replied, "I only wanted what was best for you. I didn't want you to have to spend your entire life running from Justicars."

"Yet now you are one of those same Justicars, and have spent your entire Justicar career chasing me."

"Because I could not allow anyone else to touch you. I was doing this to keep you safe from the danger of the path you chose to take. I chose to do this so you would not be forced back into the sanctuary and treated as less than a worm. I chose to do this so that I could give you the mercy of a quick death. And, to give the family's of your victims some kind of peace that your survival would not allow."

Morinth was quiet, thinking, _'Maybe if I die, I'll be able to see Nef again in the afterlife. And, I won't have anyone hunting me any longer.'_ then, she said, "Alright. I surrender."

Samara looked cautious, and said, "What are you up to, Morinth?"

"I'm surrendering. I don't see the point in fighting you, it's clear that Shepard's on your side, so I doubt I can win this fight. So, just finish it quickly, Samara."

Samara pulled her pistol out, and fired three rounds into Morinth's head. The Ardat Yakshi did not have any barriers up, so the rounds tore through her flesh, leaving three large holes in her head. Samara fired another pair of rounds into Morinth's abdomen, piercing several internal organs.

The Justicar said, "We should leave here. There are still multiple missions you need to finish in the next few days."

"Yeah. How are you feeling, Samara?"

"I just had to kill the strongest, smartest, most clever of my daughters. Despite what she was, she was still my daughter, and I loved her as much as my other two." Samara said, as she opened the door of her skycar, and got into the seat.

Jessica entered as well, and said after making sure that the latch was fine, she said, "I understand. If you need someone to talk to, I'll be available most of the time."

"I will not be a burden to you, Shepard. I can handle this on my own."

"Alright." Jessica replied, and then she said over the communicator, while toying with her dress a little so that it was exactly how she wanted it, "How are you doing, Miri?"

Miranda said, "A lot better now that you're safe. I nearly had a heart attack when Morinth got on top of you. I thought she might force you to let her into your head."

"I'm sorry for worrying you so much. It was just something that we needed to get done." Jessica said.

Miranda laughed, and Jessica could just imagine Miranda placing a hand on her hip**.** "You don't have to apologize for your constant need to be a hero, Jessie."

"That's the first time you've called me that, Miri."

"I thought you'd like a nickname. And, I remember Sarah calling you it."

"Yeah," Jessica said with a small smile, as she thought of chasing her little sister through a garden on Mindoir. And, then the skycar landed, and tore her from her reverie. She hopped out of the car, and walked calmly into the Normandy, where Miranda was waiting, her hair looking kinda messy from how much she had been messing with it.

Jessica laughed, and said, "I didn't realize you were _that _worried. I'm a bit hurt that you didn't have more confidence in me."

Miranda said, "I do have confidence in you, but you were up against an enemy that even the tiniest slip-up would have left you dead. You're amazing at everything that you do, but even you make an occasional mistake."

"I do make an occasional mistake. I'll meet you up in the loft in a bit, Miri. Just going to talk to some of the crew."

"Oh? You think it'll be that easy after you weren't interested earlier?"

Jessica looked mock-offended, and said, "I said that I just wanted to do it after I was sure a serial killer was dead."

Miranda kissed Jessica, and whispered in her ear, "I know, I just wanted to see the look on your face." before walking off.

The Spectre watched the brunette walk away, her eyes glued to her lover's ass. Then, she walked up to Joker, and said, "Set course for Zorya. It's time to take care of Vido Santiago."

"Got it." Joker said, after he pulled the Normandy out of dock, and carefully maneuvered it around the structures of Omega, asked, "So, will you take video for me this time?"

"Joker, you should know the answer. What Miri and I do in our very limited free time is our own business."

Joker sighed, and said, "Fine. So, how was it, seducing a sexy serial sex killer?"

"Terrifying." Jessica said.

"How terrifying are we talking? Are we talking Jack levels of terrifying, or a drunk krogan trying to seduce levels of terrifying beyond all reason?"

"Drunk krogan." Jessica said as she walked away, and Joker whistled.

Jessica walked up to Kelly, who was quiet, and then the Commander poker the psychologist. The red-head jumped, and asked, "What was that for?"

"You're usually more cheerful and responsive to people showing up near you. This time you didn't even respond."

"Sorry, I'm just pretty tired. I just had another psych session with Jack while you were out, and talking to that woman is unnerving."

Jack then walked out of the elevator, and said, "Only if you're a pussy."

"You aren't helping, Jack." Jessica said.

The biotic laughed, and said, "Sorry, Shepard. I thought you'd be off banging the cheerleader. I thought now would be a good chance to go shoot some shit in the armory."

"Jack, why don't you just go shoot things." Jessica flatly said, appearing to be slightly bored. Then, she finished checking her email, and entered the elevator, heading to deck four Then, Kasumi de-cloaked, and asked, "How are you feeling, Shep?"

"I'm feeling fine, Kas. Though, you may want to check up on your girlfriend. Kelly's looking kinda beat."

"That's what I was coming to talk to you about. I was wondering if you'd be willing to let Kelly quit putting Jack through those psych sessions. Every time I've seen her after one she's been tired, though at first it didn't show. Now she can't do one without it just leaving her too beat to do anything else. I'm worried that she's going to hurt herself sometime on it."

"I'll think about it, Kasumi. What about Jack's training with Samara and Thane?"

"It's helping her, Shep. She's made more progress because of that than any of Kelly's sessions."

Jessica said, "I'll give it some serious thinking, Kas. Just be sure to help Kelly unwind. I'm sure she could use some relaxation."

Kasumi nodded, and re-activated her cloak. Jessica quickly walked over to Zaeed's room, and saw that he was sitting at the bench, working on the old assault rifle he kept for some reason. He looked up at the Commander, and asked, "You need something, Shepard?"

"We're heading to Zorya. We'll be there in a while."

"Thanks, Shepard. It'll be good to put a bullet in Vido. Reminds me of the time that I had his little brother Dom hostage five years ago. I thought I had Vido, but Dom was a sneaky bugger, managed to hide Vido's location. I had to put a bullet into him."

"Interesting. Why are you working on that old assault rifle?"

Zaeed looked fondly at the assault rifle, and said, "This here's Jessie, the first rifle I ever owned. This old girl got me my reputation. Every time anyone called me ruthless, or bloodthirsty, they were talking about this rifle. And, I'll being using it when we go through the Omega 4 relay to shove a rifle up the Collectors asses. And, this rifle, it deserves to be the one I use to kill Collectors on their homeworld, because that rifle is as much a part of me as my hand."

"Wow, you really like your first rifle that much?"

"Jessie just kept firing even in the toughest situations. I used this rifle to do every last one of the impossible missions I've done up to this point. And, if I can get the bloodthirsty bitch working again, she'll be the one I use through the Omega 4. I was actually hoping to kill Vido with it, but that isn't an option any more. Still, I'm looking forward to killing that fucker."

"Good, I'd hate to go to Zorya, and then find out that you aren't interested in killing him anymore because you can't use a specific gun to kill him."

"I might just slit his throat now. Watch him bleed out in just a couple of a moments." the grizzled mercenary said with a slight grin, while he continued fiddling with his beloved rifle.

"What do you have against Vido, Zaeed? I know it's personal, but you haven't told me what he did to make you hate him so much."

"Maybe I'll tell you sometime, Shepard, but now ain't the time to share it."

Jessica nodded, and gave Zaeed a pat on the shoulder, and said, "I'll leave you to working on Jessie. God that sounded wrong. Anyway, have fun working on your rifle pops. Dammit, that sounds dirty too."

Zaeed laughed, and said, "Only if you've got a dirty mind, Shepard."

She laughed, and said, "You got me there, Zaeed. I'll talk to you later."

"Got it, Shepard. I'll try to get this old bitch running again."

Jessica nodded, and headed to Grunt's room. When she opened the door, she heard someone say, "Batman Bitches!" followed by, "Leave no window unbroken." from a second voice. Then, the krogan paused the video and asked, "You need anything, Shepard?"

"What was that you were watching?"

"I was just flipping through the extranet, and it was called Batman Arkham City Gameplay part two. It was on something called the Loading Bar during what the two humans termed Happy Hour."

"Ok, I'm going to quit asking any more about it. Just came to make sure you weren't breaking things. And, seeing how you are fiddling around on the extranet, it would seem you're fine."

"Got it, Shepard." The krogan said, and when Shepard was gone, resumed watching the video.

Jessica walked into the engine room, and heard Gabby saying, "Ken, how came you constantly talk about the figure of every woman you see, except for me! Why?" she angrily asked.

Ken quit typing on his console, and stammered out, "Gabby, it's because, well it's because you're you?"

"What does that mean, Ken? Is it because you're too fucking shallow to say anything that would actually mean anything?"  
"Gabby, we have a duty to the crew. We should just get back to work."

Gabby shook her head, and Jessica said, "Ken, I'd like to talk to you in the drive core."

Both of the engineers looked shocked, and Ken quietly followed Jessica into the drive core chamber. He asked, "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Jessica slapped him, and said, "Stop acting like you're an idiot. I think it's fairly obvious why Gabby was pushing you no that topic. And, I'm pretty good at getting a read on people. Everyone on the Normandy knows you and Gabby like each other in more than a friendly manner, and would like to move on to something more, but you're too afraid of actually committing to something, and she can't start a relationship between you without you putting in some kind of effort, Ken. So, quit being a little boy, and man the fuck up. Do something nice for Gabby. Maybe ask her on a date like you want to. Just quit acting like you are just a shallow prick, because you're a better person than that. And, I'd hate to see you make mistakes like that. With what's coming up, you do not want to wait for the perfect moment. Because, chances are, the reapers will kill us all before that happens."

Ken nodded, and said, "You're right Shepard, but I don't know what to say. I mean, it's Gabby. I like her a lot, but I don't know what to bloody say."

"Compliment her on her appearance. That will help you. And, she's interested in you, so it should be easier than if it was just a one-way crush."

"Alright, thanks Commander."

"No problem, Ken. I'm just trying to make it so that my crew don't make any mistakes they regret later on. We can't afford that, and, I've seen a lot of people die without admitting their feelings, or the one they had feelings dieing before they admitted it. It is never a pretty sight." Jessica said as she walked to the elevator.

-=0=-

Ashley was working on a gun, when she heard Jacob walk in. He said, "How are you feeling, Ash?"

"I'm pretty good, Jacob. What's that in your hand?"

"An old smg. It's called a Kris Super V. It's really good for its time. It'll make a nice addition to my collection."

"I didn't know you collected classic weapons." Ashley said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"I have a massive collection. Ranging from the first American Civil War all the way up to the end of powder-based weapons. One thing I can say about Cerberus is that they pay incredibly well. But, I'm glad to be done with them. They aren't exactly the best thing to have on the resume."

"Yeah. So, could I see your collection sometime? I'm a big fan of those old guns. They've got so much more style than the stuff we use today."

"Sure. Though, it will have to be after we finish the Collector mission."

"I don't mind." Ashley said.

Jacob was quiet for a while, then asked, "So, Ash, next time we have shore leave, want to go get some dinner?"

"That sounds fun. Though, I doubt we'll have any shore leave before we kill the Collectors. We'll be heading through the Omega 4 in a few days. It's a little hard to believe."

"Yeah." Jacob said, walking over to the window, "But, if anyone can lead a ship through the Omega 4 relay, and have it come back, it's Shepard."

"Yeah, she had us do some crazy shit back on the SR1. There was a time on the Citadel where she had me and Kaidan go with her to take out a serious drug cartel so that we could get information from a Shadow Broker agent. That was insane. We had to fight through dozens of tight corridors with next to no cover just to get into their main base." Ashley said, leaning against the wall so that her breasts were pushed out so that they were easier to look at.

Jacob didn't stare at them, and said, "Anyway, I should probably get working on some of the equipment. We don't want Shepard to get on our case for wasting time."

"I think she's busy." Ash said, "But, you're right, Jacob."


	59. Chapter 58: Santiago's Fall

Jessica and Miranda groaned as they were both woken up by the Commander's loud alarm. She hit the snooze button, and tried to snuggle back up against Miranda, but was told, "We've got work to do."

Jessica sighed, and said, "Alright. I'm looking forward to this damn mission being over. Haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a long ass time."

Miranda laughed, It isn't like you to complain. Are you really Commander Shepard?"

"Miranda." Jessica said, sounding slightly annoyed while she got out of bed. As the cold hit her, she shivered, and quickly pulled open the armor locker, and got into a suit of plain N7 armor.

Miranda smirked and put on a suit that was a lot like her black catsuit, but had armor on the shoulders and torso. The two then walked out of the room, and entered the shuttle bay, where Zaeed was already waiting.

The mercenary said, "You're here earlier than expected, Shepard."

"What can I say, I'm prompt." Jessica replied, grabbing her harrier and reegar carbine. Miranda picked up a Viper sniper rifle, as well as a carnifex pistol and a phalanx pistol. Jessica looked at Miranda with a slightly tilted head, then asked, "Are you going to be dual-wielding those?"

Miranda shook her head with while smiling slightly, and said, "You read me like a book. Though, I won't do it at first. Only if we _really_ need a bit more firepower."

"That probably won't happen." Jessica said while fiddling with her omni-tool. Then, she walked over to the inter-com and asked, "Joker, how long until we get to Zorya?"

"We'll be arriving in twenty minutes."

"Good." She said, while walking over to Steve. The pilot said, "Commander, looking forward to doing this mission. It's been a while since I've had to fly in quiet. Most of my recent missions were serious battles. I still remember flying my fighter in the first wave during the battle of the Citadel." He let out a small laugh, and said, "Roger was so worried during that battle that we decided to go on vacation, so he could relax after the battle." Then, what little mirth there had been in the pilot's eyes faded, as tears took its place. Then he said, "Sorry, Commander."

"No need to apologize, I know what it's like to have lost the most important people in your life. Or, just the one person." Jessica said, gently patting his shoulder, before continuing, "And, trust me, it'll get easier in time."

"Thanks, Commander, I'll be ready to fly when you need me at the pilot's seat."

"Good. If you need to talk to someone, I'm usually available, and if I'm not, or you don't feel comfortable discussing it with your CO, then Yeoman Chambers is always available to talk to the crew."

"Thanks for the information, Commander. But, I should get back to work."

Then, in walked Jack, Mordin, Garrus, Bau, Tali, Thane, Samara, and Grunt. Jessica said, "Alright, guys. Just so we all know what we're going to be doing. The Blue Suns have taken over a refinery here on the planet Zorya, and there leader, Vido Santiago has come in person to make sure that things are handled properly in assuming control. We'll be going in silent, and once we get in, we'll go loud, and kill all Blue Suns in the facility. Be careful not to hit any civilians, or endanger any noncombatants in any way. I'm talking to you, Zaeed."

"Got it, Shepard." The mercenary replied.

"Our initial LZ is a click away from the refinery in the forest. We'll head there, and go deep into the woods, using them to avoid detection. Be warned, there is a large pyjak population. Use of firearms against them is inadvisable unless using a weapon that has a suppressor. But, be sure to kill any of them that appear to be headed towards you. Pyjaks may appear small and cute, but they are ruthless killers. I lost five men to the bastards on Eletania. There are no other dangerous species on the planet that are anywhere near where we are going to be. Still, be prepared for anything. Also, while doubtful, we may have to split into two separate teams. In that event, Mordin, Miri, Garrus, Tali, and Zaeed will be with me. Thane, Samara, Jack, Grunt, you guys will be the other team. In that event, Thane, you'll be in charge of the second team."

"Understood, Shepard." the drell said, nodding his head.

"Alright, team, time to move out. Remember, we have to kill every last Blue Sun in the facility. That way we can be sure that they will not just take control of it back." Jessica said, while they piled into the shuttle.

Inside, Samara, Thane, and Jack started talking amongst themselves, about the various ways they could use their biotics to enter the facility and intimidate the hostile force. Jessica walked over to Garrus, and asked, "How you doing, Garrus?"

"I'm fine, Shepard. Just... thinking."

"About what? Calibrations?"

He laughed, and said, "Not this time, Shepard. I was thinking about what you said earlier. Does Zaeed have a problem with these Suns?"

"I think he has a grudge against Santiago. The way he talks about killing Vido, I had to make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid."

Garrus said, "I seriously bet that these mercs have no idea what's coming for them. Imagine the look on their faces when they see us storm the refinery." the turian finishe, laughing.

"Yeah," Jessica said with a huge grin, "I bet they won't even see it coming when we burst in and kill every last one of them."

Garrus nodded, and Jessica walked towards Mordin and asked, "How are you doing, Mordin?"

"Doing fine. Looking at genophage cure data. Require male krogan tissue to perfect it. Will have to speak with Wrex about it when we go to Tuchanka."

"We'll be heading there next. You should be able to figure out how to get what you need once we've taken care of the Suicide Mission."

"Good. Looking forward to genophage being dealt with."

"You seem to have changed even more. Why?"

"Have spent a good deal of time speaking with Eve. Has provided interesting look into krogan culture. Removal of genophage will enable females to have more prominent role in krogan society. Females will act as stabilizer for the rash actions of the krogan males. And, have learned what the female krogan endured with genophage. Cannot justify away what it has caused."

Jessica smiled and patted the salarian scientist on the shoulder, saying, "Looks like you've learned a lot during this mission. It'll be good to take the fight to the Collectors with you."

"Looking forward to it, Shepard." Mordin said.

Jessica walked over to Thane, and asked, "How you doing, Thane?"

"No worse than yesterday, Shepard. Though, I worry that my time is growing short. I will have to be hospitalized in seven months."

"I get it. Is there anything we can do to help you stay on your feet longer?"

"There is nothing we can do. Kepral's Syndrome has no cure."

"Yet. Mordin's going to have to take a break from his genophage work, so he could help you with your Kepral's syndrome."

"I will think about it. What about you, Shepard, how are you feeling?"

"Tired. I really hope we'll be able to take some shore leave after we hit the Collectors."

"Shore leave does sound good. Though, I wonder what would happen if you actually just let your hair down. It seems like every time we turn around there's a new issue popping up."

"Yeah, but luckily we just have this and helping Grunt to handle before we go and pick up Legion and the IFF. Then, we just install the damn thing, and go through the Omega 4. We'll be done with time to spare."

"Indeed. Though, I doubt the mission will go quite so smoothly as you are saying." Thane replied.

"Me too." Jessica said, as the shuttle landed. She walked out of the shuttle, and soon Miranda and Garrus were on her right and left respectively.

The team quickly moved away from the path and into the woods, and silently moved towards the refinery. They were slowly moving through the woods. Until a pair of pyjaks ran into their line of sight things were going perfectly fine. Once Jessica saw them, she whipped out her harrier, and fired a four round burst into each of the defenseless space monkeys. She then popped out her thermal clip and replaced it. Just as twenty Blue Suns charged their way from a nearby outpost.

Jack shouted, "What the fuck, Shepard!" while she opened fire on the batarian commander of the group.

Jessica replied, "Pyjaks are more dangerous than these Blue Suns!"

Zaeed said, "They're goddamn monkeys, Shepard! That isn't exactly dangerous." at the same time that he stabbed a nearby mercenary.

Then, Garrus who had fallen back quite a ways shouted, "Boom! Headshot!" as a human Blue Sun's head exploded.

Miranda shook her head, while she lifted a Sun into the air and then slammed him into the ground with enough force to snap his spine in two.

Meanwhile, Jack had given herself some biotic armor and a single biotic blade. She sprinted into a group of three mercs and stabbed one, beheaded the second, and launched the third twenty feet into the air with the flat of the biotic blade. She then leaped from the ground, but was unable to reach him, so she created a small platform of dark energy beneath her feet, and jumped off of it. And split her sword in two before cleaving the last one into four pieces, and softly landing behind a fourth Blue Sun. Who immediately dropped his gun and shouted, "I SURRENDER! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

Jack snorted, and said, "Pussy." before pulling out a pistol and putting three rounds into his chest.

The last three mercs dropped their weapons when they saw what Shepard's team was willing to do. But, they had a burst of rounds from Samara's vindicator kill all three of them.

Jessica said, "Good work. Since I screwed up and blew our cover we'll be going in loud. You guys ready to kick some ass?"

"You can bet your sweet ass we are." Zaeed said.

Jessica didn't respond, but began walking off when Mordin said, "Wait." while examining one of the Suns. He then said, "Strange. Mercenaries appear to have a large number of cybernetic implants." He closed his eyes, and continued, "Reaper implants."

"What? How did the Blue Suns get their hands on some Reaper tech?" Miranda asked.

"Unknown. However, Reaper implants problematic."

Thane said, "It is possible that they took this installation due to a discovery of some of the workers. We'll need to find out what's going on ASAP."

Garrus said, "But, if they've got Reaper tech, is it even safe to go in and do this mission? We could get Indoctrinated!"

"Quit being a pussy, Garrus." Jack said.

Samara said, "If we are quick, we can finish the operation before Indoctrination can set in."

Bau who had been searching one of the corpses, said, "Shepard, it would be an issue if we were to all get Indoctrinated. I suggest just taking a small team in, to reduce chances of squad-wide Indoctrination."

Tali said, "We'll be fine. We've been near a lot more Reaper tech than this and we haven't gotten Indoctrinated yet."

Jessica, who had been just staring out into space for the rest of the conversation, said, "We'll all be going in. If there is more Reaper tech, the signal is too faint to be a problem."  
"How can you be sure, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"The Warrior can detect Reaper Indoctrination signals. It says that there aren't any signals except for the implants."

"What the fuck is this Warrior?"

"When I took care of my Butcher problem, I didn't destroy it, I simply used my memories of my dead loved ones to change into something that wants to protect me. After it was changed, it took the name Warrior. Don't ask why, I don't know."

Everyone nodded, and Jessica said, "Let's get going, people. We don't know how long we have until Vido gets away."

They started running through the forest, heading straight for the refinery, when Jessica stopped, and said, "We're leaving Zorya now."

"What, why?" Zaeed asked.

"Because, there's a dormant Reaper here. Directly under the refinery. We'll need to contact the Alliance, and get an entire fleet here. We don't want to risk the damn thing waking up when there isn't anything to take it out."

"Are you sure that it's a Reaper, Shepard?" Zaeed demanded, looking ready to fight the Commander.

She punched him, and said, "Zaeed, I'm absolutely certain that it's a Reaper. We can't risk it coming out of stasis. That would kill us all."

Miranda said, "At least that explains the Reaper tech. What are we going to do about Vido though?"

Jessica was quiet for a while, and said, "Zaeed, you and Thane will go in and assassinate Vido. I will go back to the Normandy, because it could notice the Warrior, and wake up to handle it. Tali, Garrus, you two will stay behind as well, to be backup for Thane and Zaeed in case things get too dangerous. Everyone else, you'll be going with me to get out of here. Once we're on the Normandy, I'll talk to Hackett about the Reaper."

"Got it." Zaeed said, heading towards the refinery.

Jessica sprinted away from the refinery, and contacted the Normandy, saying, "We need a shuttle ASAP! There is a Reaper dormant on Zorya and we need to evac immediately!"

Joker said, "A Reaper? Are you serious?"

"Yes, Joker, now get me a shuttle dammit!"

"Got it, Cortez is heading to the entrance LZ."

"Good. Make it fast. I don't want that damn Reaper waking up." Jessica said.

Once they were at the LZ, they sat in silence for a while, then the shuttle showed up, and they  
got in. Steve asked, "Where are Zaeed, Thane, Garrus, and Tali?"

"They're staying behind to do a silent take-down of the target. Get me off this planet now." Jessica said.

"Got it. Taking off now." Steve replied.

Miranda asked, "How are you feeling, Jessica?"

She smiled softly, and said, "I feel terrified. There is a Reaper here, so close to a relay. It could cause some serious damage if we don't handle it soon."  
"You plan to wake it up when the fleet gets here, don't you?" Samara asked.

"Yeah. That way we can eliminate the Reaper, and recover more information on how to eliminate them, and possibly learn something that can give us more powerful weapons for when the Reapers arrive. Think of what we got when we killed Sovereign. The Thanix weapons are revolutionary, and have given us a better chance against the Reapers than any previous cycle. If we were able to recreate their drive core, or their main cannons, it would give us an edge that we'll need." Jessica said.

Steve then popped out, and said, "We're back on the Normandy. You might want to make that call now."

"Yeah." Jessica said, sprinting out of the shuttle and to the elevator. She hit the command to go to the loft, and left everyone else in the shuttle bay. While the elevator went up, she said, "EDI, contact Admiral Hackett, tell him that there is an urgent matter I need to speak with about with him _now._"

"Message sent." The AI replied.

The doors opened, and then Hackett came up on the communicator. He asked, "What's the matter, Shepard?"

"We have a serious issue, sir. There is a Reaper on the planet Zorya."

Hackett's eyes opened wide, and he leaned forward before asking, "Are you certain, Shepard?"

"One-hundred percent, sir. I can tell you that I detected its Indoctrination signal."

"Could it just have been some Reaper tech?"

"No, sir. The Indoctrination of a full-fledged Reaper is much different than that of just their tech. It has a more... refined way to it."

"And, you have no doubt about it being a Reaper?"

"Like I said, none. You don't usually ask questions twice, sir. Are you alright?"

"Sorry, Shepard. But, fighting a Reaper is serious business. I don't want to send the fleets to handle it on just a hunch."

"I understand, but we need them ASAP."

"You've got them. I'm informing Councilor Anderson."

"Good. I should go talk to the rest of my team, sir. The Normandy will be ready to fight this Reaper when the fleets show up."

"Understood. Our ETA is five hours, since it is in a relay system."

"Got it, sir. We'll be sure to not wake the Reaper until it's time."

"Hackett out." the admiral said.

-=0=-

Zaeed and Thane were sneaking through the facility. The assassin taking point, to keep the mercenary in check. They moved through the facility quickly, but quietly. After a while, they got to a terminal, and accessed it. Thane said, "The target is one floor up. We'll have to sneak through the vents to get to him."

"You better be right about that." Zaeed said.

"I don't make mistakes." Thane replied as he walked to the vent. He popped it open, and said, "You go first."

Zaeed didn't reply, but instead just got into it. _'Leave it to an assassin to find a reason to crawl through a cramped vent.'_ he thought.

Twenty minutes passed in silence as they went through the vents. Then, Thane whispered, "We are directly above Vido."

"Good." Zaeed replied, pulling out his avenger. He aimed it directly below him, and opened fire. The rounds pierced the vent, and hit Vido's shields. He looked up, and said, "Whoever you are, get the fuck out of my refinery!"

Zaeed responded, by activating an omni-blade and cutting through the vent. As the metal beneath him collapsed, he said, "If you think I'm gonna run away with my tail between my legs, you're dead wrong, Vido. You backstabbing sonofabitch."

Vido ran over to a nearby terminal, and said, "Zaeed, if you make one wrong move, I'll kill this entire sector!"

Zaeed's eyes opened wide, and he asked, "Are you seriously considering waking up the Reaper here? You'll fuck the entire galaxy by doing that!"

"If I'm going to die, I'll make a difference through my death!"

Both men stood there in silence, glaring at each other. Then, a sniper rifle pierced the silence, as four rounds hit Vido. The first one took out his shields, the second one took off his hand that was above the terminal, and the last two hit him in the heart and the head.

Thane gently dropped out of the vent, and said, "We need to move quickly. Vido is dead, the situation is under control."

Zaeed punched Thane, and said, "He was my kill, frog!"

"Would you rather have him alive, and waking up a Reaper?"

The mercenary was silent, and then walked back to the vent. He used an omni-grappler to get back in the vent, and started heading back the way they'd gone. Thane merely jumped and grabbed it, pulling himself up. He then contacted Jessica, and said, "Shepard, Santiago has been eliminated. What is the ETA of the fleet?"

She replied, "The fifth will be showing up in approximately four hours. Make sure you all get to the extraction point."

"We're on our way, Shepard." Thane said.

"Got it." she replied.

When the two killers finally got back to Garrus and Tali, Thane said, "We've been told to get to the extraction point. Let's move."

Tali asked, "Did you get the job done?"

"Yes." Thane said.

"But frog-boy took my goddamn kill." Zaeed muttered.

No one responded to the disgruntled mercenary, but instead sprinted towards the LZ. Five minutes later, they arrived, but the shuttle wasn't there.

Tali activated her communicator, and said, "Normandy, come in! We need a shuttle."

Lia came in, and said, "Sorry, Cortez is occupied. You'll have to wait a couple of minutes, Tali, sorry."

"It's okay, Lia. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. A bit worried about you being stuck on a planet that has a Reaper on it."

"I'll be fine, if Cortez gets here soon." Tali said.

Then, as rounds pierced the silence, Garrus asked, "Tali, could you give us a hand instead of talking with Lia?"

"Oh, oops! I got to go, Lia." Tali said as she dove behind a tree.

Garrus fired a pair of concussive shots into the Blue Suns who had found them. At the same time, Thane had climbed into a nearby tree and was silently eliminating the enemy forces. Zaeed was just firing on the enemies, while he ran to cover.

From in her cover, Tali threw a turret into the middle of the arena. Then, Garrus, who hadn't had time to get to cover because he had been firing on the enemy, was taken down. Tali looked really worried, and activated a pair of drones which moved rapidly around her as an extra layer of protection. When she got to the turian, she quickly got him back on his feet.

Thane fired on the mercenaries, and said over the com line, "Hurry. I can only keep them off you for a few more seconds. Wait, what is Zaeed doing?"

Garrus looked back, and Zaeed had gone completely insane. He had charged the mercenaries throwing inferno grenades and firing his avenger rifle. The mercs were so surprised that at first they didn't react. Then, when they started to open fire, Zaeed was able to get behind a rock as cover. However, it wasn't exactly sturdy, so the enemy fire quickly tore through it.

As the rounds whizzed past Zaeed's head, fear crept into his veins. Then, just as the Blue Suns started to actually hit his shields, a shuttle flew in, and fired a couple of rockets into the Blue Suns. Zaeed sighed in relief, and ran back to where the shuttle was now landing.

When they got into the shuttle, Garrus punched Zaeed, and said, "You were being reckless, Zaeed."

"You needed a distraction so you could get to cover. I provided it."

Tali said, "And nearly got yourself killed in the process. We'll need as much firepower as possible when we go to take out the Collectors. And that means we can't have you going in and throwing your life away while fighting some Blue Suns."

"I fucking founded the Blue Suns, quarian! I know all of their methods, I knew that the goddamn terrorists Vido hired wouldn't have the balls to immediately open fire when someone charged them firing and throwing grenades."

Steve said, "It was still an unnecessary risk. I don't like having to use the Kodiac's rockets. It can mess things up."

"Got it. Don't go in Rambo style." Zaeed said.

"Rambo style?" Garrus asked.

"It doesn't matter." Thane said.

-=0=-

Jessica stood quietly in the CIC. Three hours until the fleets arrived. She was quiet, until Miranda walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her as well as resting her head on Jessica's shoulder. The Commander said, "Hi. How are you?"

"I feel fine. What about you?"

"I'm nervous. I'm going to have to go down there to wake the Reaper up so we can kill it without messing the planet up."

"Are you serious? You could get killed!" Miranda said, holding on even tighter to Jessica.

"I know it's risky, but it has to be done. We can't risk civilian casualties."

"Can't you have someone else do it?"

"No. I have to get in range for the Warrior to wake up the Reaper. It can be done in a shuttle, that way we can be gone before the thing's weapon systems are back online."

"I'll be going with you when you do it."

"Well, are you sure you want to go?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you're sure, then I guess I can let you come along."

"Good. I'm going to go get something to eat. You should probably get something too."

"I'll wait until after the Reaper is dead."

"Jessie, not eating won't help."

The Commander smiled, and pulled Miranda's arms off of her so she could turn around, and said, "I don't think I could hold anything down." before gently kissing Miranda and walking up to the bridge.

Joker asked with a huge grin, "So, Jessica, a Reaper on Zorya. Are you _sure_ that the Reapers are really in dark space, not just sleeping in the galaxy?"

"Very funny, Joker. How are things up here?"

"Pretty good. Looking forward to using the second Normandy to kill another Reaper. And, I'm really hurt that you get the credit, when it was the _Normandy_ that killed Sovereign, you're the one who got credit for it."

She laughed, and said, "The galaxy is a bunch of morons who don't understand what really goes down."

"Yeah. So, how long until we get to fight the Reaper?"

"Two and a half hours." Jessica said as she checked her omni-tool.

"Well, I guess I'll just maintain orbit around Zorya until the fleet arrives. Just sit here doing absolutely nothing. Rotting away while we wait for Hackett to show up."

"You'll be fine." Jessica said, as she walked towards the armory. Once she got in there, she asked, "Jacob, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, Shepard. Though not looking forward to being on a ship that's going to be facing off with a Reaper."

"We'll be fine. It'll at least be a chance to test out the new equipment on the fleets."

"Or they'll all be blown to bits before they can fire it."

"They'll be fine. You're worrying too much."

"What if we don't make it? If the Normandy gets shot down?"

"That won't happen. It's a single Reaper, and that thing won't have much of a chance against the fleets firepower."

"If you say so." Jacob said.

Jessica nodded, then walked over to Ash, who said, "Skipper, what's the plan for this fight?"

"Miranda and I will go down to the planet so that I can ensure that the Reaper is woken up. Then, the fleet will give it hell."

"You sure that's safe, Skipper?"

"No, but it has to be done this way. If it isn't, we'll have a Reaper behind our lines."

"Right. Well, I should get back to work, ma'am."

"How many guns do we have that it's taken you and Jacob so long to get them all handled?"

"We've got a lot of them. And, moving the entire armory down to deck four makes things even more difficult. Though, We're getting pretty close to finishing it."

"Got it. I'll be sure not to send any guns up here for repairs. You can handle it down on deck four." Jessica said as she headed into the lab, where Mordin wasn't. She thought, _'He must be in the medbay. I'll leave him to work on his genophage cure.'_

Then, she walked into the elevator, and went to the loft. She collapsed into the bed, and said,  
"EDI, wake me up when Admiral Hackett and the fifth fleet arrive."

"Understood. Is there anything else?"

"Nope."

"Logging you out, Shepard."

-=0=-

Hackett stood on the bridge of the Kilimanjaro, and as the fleet exited the relay to Zorya, he said, "Connect me to the Normandy."

A yeoman said, "Transmission has been sent, Admiral."

Joker's voice came through the speakers, "Are you in the system, sir?"

"We're approaching Zorya. Where's Shepard?"

"She'll be heading down to the planet in a few minutes, sir."

"Why is she going down there?"

Jessica's voice came through, and said, "I have to make sure that the Reaper is brought up in a way that prevents it from destroying the area. I should be able to lure it out of the atmosphere."

"Then get to work, Shepard. We need to take that thing out ASAP. It could get us valuable information for fighting the Reapers."

-=0=-

"And we'll be able to test out the stun weapons." Jessica said as she headed towards the elevator.

She popped up her omni-tool, and activated the vid-com to contact Miranda. She said, "You ready to go down to Zorya?"

"Of course. I'll meet you by the elevator."

"Alright. Looks like you're in your office. Though, I'm surprised that you still use it."

"It makes a nice place to think. Or write some reports to the Alliance."

"You write reports to the Alliance?"

"Of course. Don't you?"

"Nope. I only write ones to the Council about the most important missions we go on. Like the battle with the heretic fleet a while back." Jessica said as the elevator opened, and in walked Miranda. The elevator then went down to deck four while the two passengers rode it in silence.

Once they exited it a few moments later, Miranda said, "Cortez, we're ready to head back down and wake up the Reaper."

"Got it. Get in, I just need to put this cover back on before we leave." he replied.

The two entered it, and sat down side by side. Miranda asked, "How long until you'll be waking up the Reaper?"

"Twenty minutes."

"Are you sure it's safe? Will it turn the Warrior back into a Butcher?"

"Nope. Once it's changed, it's permanent. The few who were changed, not even the entire Reaper fleet working together can undo it. At least, that's what the Warrior says."

"How does it know so much?"

"From what I've been able to get it to say, the Indoctrination signal has information about Butchers and such imbedded in it. That way if one is formed, it knows what it is, and what it needs to do."

"That's impressive. I didn't know you could get it to talk to you like that."

"It was a bit reluctant to talk about it, but gave in when I said that it could be important. That I'd need to have a good reason to trust it after the Reapers arrive."

"Interesting." Miranda said.

Then, after a couple of minutes of silence, Jessica said to the Warrior, _"Wake it up."_

"_As you command." _it replied, before seeming to shout, _"Master, it is time that you rise. The herald of the return is gone. And, those who are to be harvested come to destroy you. Rise to your own defense, and bring forth the Arrival, please master."_

There was silence for a while, then, Cortez said, "Something's happening on the ground directly in front of us."

Jessica said, "Pull out to closer to the atmosphere." she then said to the Warrior, _"Make the Reaper think that you've been grabbed, and that they're going to use your knowledge to harm the entire Reaper fleet."_

The warrior said to the Reaper, _"Master! I have been grabbed by the organics. My control of Dark Energy has been blocked! I need your help!"_

The response was a loud sound that sounded like, _"THEY WILL SERVE US!"_ before the ground split open, and from it ascended a Reaper. Two kilometers of destructive force and Indoctrination rose, and turned towards the shuttle.

"Cortez, get us to where the fleets can open fire!" Miranda shouted.

"I'm working on it, Ms. Lawson."

"Well go faster!"

"There's only so fast I can get this thing to go in the atmosphere, and it will take a little while to get where the Reaper is in firing range of the fleet."

Jessica said, "Cortez, how long until the Reaper's in the safe firing range for the fleet?"

"Five minutes, ma'am."

"Then we've got time. It'll take it a while to power up its weapons."

"You better be right, Shepard." Cortez said.

"I'm always right." she replied, standing quietly by the window, watching the Old Machine turn towards them. It began to fly towards them, and then... it stopped. It just froze in place. Jessica looked at it with confusion, and then said, "It's making sure its systems are all powered up. Keep going, Cortez."

"I'm not going to stop just because the Reaper did." he replied.

After a while, they escaped the planet's gravity, and then flew back into the Normandy. Jessica walked into the elevator followed by a quiet Miranda. Finally, Miranda asked, "Did you... did you hear the Reaper's shout?"

"Yeah."

"What are the chances that it's different from Sovereign? If it has a different design?"

"It's possible. Or, Sovereign could have just been keeping the sounds low to prevent the risk of it messing up Indoctrination." Jessica said as she stood at her spot in front of the galaxy map. She said, "Give me an enlarged view of the system we're currently in. To an actual scale. And, preferably one that shows other ships, including the Reaper."  
A lieutenant said, "Putting it up now, ma'am."

"Good. Chambers, you should go down to deck three. Also, you're relieved of helping Jack psychologically. Samara and Thane's meditation techniques appear to be doing enough."

"Shepard, I can help her still. I'm sure of it."

"I'm sure that you could help Jack, but it's wearing you out. It's worrying Kasumi. And, I'd rather have your regular cheerful, energetic personality, instead of the quiet, tired one."

"Understood, ma'am."

Jessica activated the PA system, and said, "All non-combat important personal please exit the CIC and head down to deck three."

A few people went into the elevator, but most stayed. Jessica then continued, "EDI, put the Normandy in combat-situation power draw. Is Garrus in the main battery?"

"Systems set to combat power-draw. Garrus is in the main battery."

"Good, have him finish any calibrations he's in the middle of right now."

"He is not in any. And, he says that he is hurt that you would think he would have the weapons being calibrated when there is a Reaper headed our way."

"Got it. Prepare the Thanix cannons to fire when the Reaper gets in range and has had its systems disrupted." she said.

"Understood." EDI said.

Hackett's voice came in through the inter-com, as he said, "Normandy, go with the vessels at the front. They'll disrupt the Reaper's systems, then you'll be the first to hit it. Your Thanix cannons should do good damage."

"Understood, sir." She replied, "Joker, you heard the Admiral."

"Going there now, Commander." the pilot replied.

Then, as the Normandy met up with the vessels armed with the Reaper disruptor cannons, the moment they had been waiting for arrived. The moment they had all been dreading. From what Jessica could see in the CIC, the Reaper had just exited the atmosphere, and was headed their way. The frigates flew towards the Reaper, and then, it opened fire with the cannons in its arms. The frigates were able to dodge, and so were most of the cruisers, but a pair of them were just too slow. The streams of molten metal hit them, and tore them in two.

Hackett said, "SHIT! Disrupt the Reaper already!"

The captain of the front cruiser, said, "We aren't sure about the range, we're going on the close side, as the disruptors take a long time to recharge."

"Fire them! We can't afford to lose any more ships!"

"Understood, sir." he said.

The disruptors lowered from the cruiser, and fired a beam of blue energy. It hit the Reaper, and the massive machine immediately stopped moving.

"Joker, get closer to the Reaper now!" Jessica shouted.

"On it!" he replied, moving below the front Cruiser, and rapidly accelerating towards the Reaper.

Jessica then said, "Get me a close up view of the Reaper!"

"Got it." A Sergeant said.

When it was brought up, Jessica looked closely at it, and said, "Fire the Thanix cannons here." while highlighting a point near the point where the Reaper's arms connected with the rest of its body.

The Thannix dropped down, and fired. The light blue stream of molten metal hit the Reaper at the specified point, and went clear through it.

Jessica then said, "EDI, can you get a drone in the hole to do a scan of the Reaper?"

"Yes, but it may be lost without sending us anything."

"Just send it in!" Miranda said.

"Understood." the AI said.

Jessica then said to the fleet, "Hold your fire for as long as possible!"

Hackett asked, "What the hell are you telling us to do, Shepard? We could take serious casualties if we don't kill it now!"

"Sir, I had a drone sent into the Reaper to scan the interior schematics. That way we can get a better idea of where to shoot the damn things when there is an entire fleet of them trying to kill us."

"You've got five minutes for that drone to scan the Reaper and get out. We don't know how much time we have left before it gets moving again."

"Understood, sir." she said.

The time was quiet, tense, then EDI said, "I have recovered the scan of the Reaper."  
"Got it. We have the scan, sir."

Hackett then said, "All dreadnaughts, open fire on the Reaper."

There was no spoken response, instead the vessels move closer to the Reaper, and fired. They tore through the ship, leaving it with as many holes as Swiss cheese. Then, its drive core was hit, which led to it exploding and falling apart. Hackett said, "Recovery teams go in and get as much of the parts of the Reaper for examination."

"Understood."

Jessica stood quietly on the CIC, then said, "Joker, set course for Tuchanka."  
"Got it." he said.

She then stepped down from the Command seat, and walked to the elevator. She then went down to deck three, and walked up to Gardner. She asked, "What do you have that I can eat?"

"Got a couple of steaks left from our last trip to the Citadel."

"Steak sounds great." she said.

"Alright, just let me get it cooked for ya, Shepard." he said as he quickly put a rub together and put it on the meat. A few minutes later, it was done, and he put it on a plate for Jessica.

Alongside some mashed potatoes and a roll.

After Jessica finished the meal, she said, "Thanks, Gardner. That was delicious."

"No problem, Shepard." he said, as he sat down in the kitchen. Jessica walked into the med-bay, and asked Chakwas, "How you doing, Karin?"

"I'm feeling fine, Jessica." The doctor replied, "Though it looks like you could use some rest."

"Yeah, I was just checking up on you. You haven't had much to do lately. Thought you might be bored."

"It's better than having to fix you up after every mission."

Jessica laughed, and said, "Yeah. I should go check on Garrus before going to get some sleep."

"Talk to you later, Jessica." Chakwas said, turning in her chair to look at her personal terminal.

Jessica walked into the main battery, and saw that Garrus was just sleeping on the seat in the room. She just quietly walked away and entered the elevator.

Once she got into the loft, she just crashed into the bed beside Miranda. Miranda said, "I thought you'd be busy for longer."

"Nope. With how beat I am after what we've had to do lately, I'm just trying to get as much sleep as possible so I can actually get some more sleep. Not even N7 training had stuff like this. A few hours of sleep for over a month, and, then going into combat immediately after getting up."

"Not to mention the first time you woke up, you'd just come back from the dead and weren't in top shape." Miranda said as she snuggled up against Jessica.

"Yeah." she replied.


	60. Chapter 59: The Rite of Passage

Jessica woke up, gently extricated herself from Miranda's arms, and walked over to EDI's terminal. She then hit it, and whispered, "EDI, what's our ETA to Tuchanka? Answer quietly."

The AI lowered its volume, and said, "We are fifty minutes from Tuchanka."

Jessica nodded, and said, "That's all."

"Logging you out."

Jessica walked over to the closet and pulled out some fresh underwear and a set of Terminus Assault Armor. After taking a quick shower, she quickly equipped the armor, and headed down to Deck Four. When it arrived, she went into Grunt's quarters, and said, "Get ready to move. We'll be landing on Tuchanka soon."

The krogan nodded, and grabbed his weapons, before quietly walking towards the elevator. Jessica stood quietly in the room for a little while, then, left the room as well, heading down to Jack's hiding hole.

The Convict looked up at her, and asked, "What do you need, Shepard?"

"We're going to be landing on Tuchanka soon, and you haven't been on very many missions lately. I thought you might want to tag along."

"Hell yeah. And, yesterday Chambers released me from therapy. Heard you had something to do with it."

"Yeah. You're not out of control, so there was no reason to have you keep up with those sessions."

Jack laughed, and said, "Fuck, Shepard. Do you treat everything so serious?"

"Sorry, Jack. After what happened after the Pragia mission, I have a hard time being relaxed with you." Jessica said as she walked away. She went to the elevator and headed to Deck three. She went into Javik's quarters, and said, "Javik, you ready to go on a mission?"

"Yes, I have not had many opportunities to hone my skills since coming out of stasis."

"Good. Meet me in the shuttle bay in five."

The prothean nodded as Jessica left the room. She walked over to the elevator and headed down to Deck five. She said, "EDI, be sure to let Miranda sleep in."

"Understood, Commander." EDI replied.

She walked out of the elevator, and said, "Cortez, prep the shuttle!"

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, entering the shuttle.

Once the team was gathered in the shuttle, and the Normandy had established orbit around Tuchanka, the shuttle bay door opened, and the shuttle flew out. As it descended through the harsh weather of the krogan homeworld, the Kodiac was bustled around, and everyone was tossed about like rag-dolls. Except for Grunt, who just sat in his seat, and waited for the shuttle to land. When it finally did land in the bunker of the home of clan Urdnot, Cortez said, "Sorry about that, Shepard. I didn't notice that storm until we were right in it."

"It isn't an issue, Cortez. Just try to avoid it on the way back up. Or, some of us might not make it back." she said, looking at a very sick looking Jack.

"I'm no pussy, Shepard. I can handle being thrown around."

"You look a little worse for wear though. We need you at peak condition, so don't do anything stupid."

"Don't worry, Shepard. I'll do my job without any fuck-ups."

Then, Jessica stopped in her tracks, and said, "Steve!"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Go back to the Normandy and get Mordin and Eve."

"Got it. What if Mordin objects?"

"Tell him he'll have a very angry krogan on the Normandy coming for him."

"Got it." he replied, taking the shuttle.

As the team walked through the colony, a number of krogan sneered at Grunt, saying that he was just Shepard's pet. The krogan growled, and was about to attack them, when Javik said, "It would not be intelligent to insult the tank-born. He is strong, and is quite skilled in combat. You, on the other hand, do not look like you have any skill at all."

The krogan who had been insulting Grunt towered over Javik, and asked, "What makes you think you have the right to tell us what to do, four-eyes? We'll skin you alive and eat you raw if you get in our way."

Javik simply flared his biotics, and was about to throw the krogan out of the bunker, into the harsh lands of Tuchanka, with a long walk to get back, when Jessica said, "Javik, you can fight the krogan after the reapers are gone. Right now we don't need any trouble."

"If the bug's challenged me to a fight, he's got one." The krogan said, a smile on his face.

Then, a biotic blade was at the krogan's neck, and Jessica coldly said, "No fighting, is that clear? I don't have the time, or the patience, to deal with this. So, you'll either let us go without any trouble, or I'll cut your head off. Is that clear, krogan?"

For a split second fear crept into the krogan's eyes, but he soon shook it off, and said, "You haven't seen the last of me, human."

The blade vanished, and Jessica said, "I'm sure I haven't." before walking off, followed by Javik and Jack. However Grunt stood in front of the older krogan for a little while longer, before following. When they entered the main part of the colony, Jessica headed straight for Wrex's throne 'chamber'.

He saw her, and said, "Shepard! I thought I'd offended you somehow, with how quickly you left last time."

She laughed, and said, "With the shit we've been through, Wrex, you couldn't offend me. But, something serious came up, and it was crucial that I take care of it immediately."

"What was it, Shepard?" the krogan warlord inquired.

She looked around, and said, "There are too many people who could be listening in on us, Wrex. So, I can't let you know."

"Fair enough. So, you've come to help my replacement?"

"He didn't replace you, Wrex. If you're ever available to come on the Normandy, there will be a spot for you."

"Glad to hear it. I figured that once the genophage was handled and the reapers arrived I'd be fighting alongside you. If you had space."

"Well, I suppose that's one reason to look forward to the reapers arriving. And, about the genophage being cured, that's part of why we came here. The last time we were here, Miranda came down without our knowledge, and stumbled upon a group of females who were immune to the genophage."

"That little pyjak Maelon found a cure?"

"Yes, but it had a serious side-effect. It basically destroyed their immune system. Mordin and Karin were able to stabilize one, but the others didn't make it. Mordin and the fertile female, Eve, should be showing up here fairly soon."

"That's dangerous, Shepard. If the other clans find out about this female, they'll all want to take her for themselves."

"I know the risks, but, it's safer on Tuchanka than on the Normandy. We'll be going through the Omega 4 relay pretty soon, and there's still a chance that our intel doesn't have all of the details on how to safely traverse it. And, you better take good care of Eve. She's been through enough already."

Wrex solemnly nodded, and said, "Don't worry, Shepard. She'll be given the highest respect and the best protection, as all fertile females all." He then smiled, and said, "Thank you, Shepard. For doing what you can to help the krogan bring an end to the genophage."

"Your [B6] welcome, Wrex. And, even if things don't go as well as planned now, then by the time I'm dead and gone, I promise you that the genophage will be cured. Even if I have to learn the stuff so I can cure it myself." She then turned thoughtful, and said, "Maybe Miri knows it."

Wrex laughed, and said, "I suppose you've fixed your issues with your mate?"

"We actually didn't have any issues. It was just related to what I had to handle. I felt like I was putting her in danger by just being around her. I couldn't risk losing her, so I had to push her away until I knew it was safe. Though, things didn't go according to plan in that regard."

"Things never do with women. They always complicate things."

When Wrex said that, Shepard playfully punched him on the shoulder, and said, "You should know that I'm a woman too, Wrex."

"You act more like a male than a female. Your mate is female, you fight a lot, and you prefer to end things by shooting your enemies than to talk about things."

"Only when dealing with people who've pissed me off, Wrex. Only with people who've pissed me off.

Then, Mordin and Eve walked up. The salarian said, "Urdnot Wrex, I present to you Eve. First of a new kind of krogan. Immune to genophage, strong immune system. And, shockingly polite." the salarian said.

Wrex ignored Mordin, and instead focused on Eve. He said, "It's an honor to meet you, Shaman. How do you fare?"

"I'm fine, Wrex. Now why don't you quit using the fancy words. They don't fit your mouth."  
"Sorry. Just trying to be polite. So, will you be going to the place of safety established for the females?"

"No, I must stay in a place with easy extraction."

"Right. There's a place in the colony a couple of clicks from here where you can get out quickly if any other clan tries to abduct you."

"Good."

Jessica asked Wrex, "Grunt's been feeling a bit weird lately. He says he just feels angry for no good reason. Like he can't control it."

"That's just him being a krogan. He has to go through the Rite of Passage in order to join a clan. Or, he'll be considered a clanless animal for the rest of his life."

"What is this Rite?"

"It's how a krogan becomes a full adult."

Mordin said, "Puberty ritual. Common in species with hormonally-driven reproductive urges."

"I don't care what aliens call it. We call it the Rite of Passage."

"Won't Grunt being a tank-bred make that problematic? Most clans wouldn't let him join because of it. Unless you want him in Urdnot."

"Normally I wouldn't want him in Urdnot since we killed countless like him back when we were hunting Saren. They were smaller, but tank-breds too. But, since he's with you, I'll let him join. If the Shaman's willing to let him."

"Where can we find the Shaman?"

"He's over there somewhere." Wrex said pointing in the general direction. "Oh, but before you go, Shepard. I'll tell you that it'll be a lot like the good old days. When we were going into the unknown, finding big things. And killing them with even bigger guns."

"Sounds fun." she said, "We'll talk to you more later, Wrex. Mordin, you'll be coming with us on this mission."

"Negative. Not armed. Would be useless."

"You didn't bring a gun? Why?" Jack asked.

"Deemed it unnecessary. Will speak with Wrex about getting male krogan genetic material to complete genophage cure."

"Good. We need that done asap. So we can disperse it as soon after the Suicide Mission as possible."

"Will take time, Shepard. Even with Maelon and Kenson's data."

"Still, we're getting close, Mordin." She said, walking towards the building Wrex had pointed at. After climbing the stairs, she walked up to the one krogan that the others seemed to be giving a wide berth. She asked, "Are you the Shaman?"

"Yes, and you are the human with the tank-bred that Wrex wants me to let go through the Rite of Passage. You will have to show me a good reason to let him join though."

Grunt stepped forward, and said, "I was created with the best qualities of every warlord in the past three generations. I am pure krogan. You should be in awe."

The Shaman nodded, and sniffed Grunt. He then said, "You are indeed pure. You may take the Rite of Passage once you have a kraant."

"A kraant consists of two others, doesn't it?" Jessica asked.

"Yes. Only a coward or an old warlord has one that is any larger."

Jessica nodded, and said, "Jack, wait here with Mordin. Try to keep yourself amused without killing anyone."

"That's not all I enjoy, Shepard." the Convict replied.

"You could have fooled me." She dryly retorted, before saying, "We're ready to go."  
"Then follow me, Grunt, Shepard, bug-face."

"My name is Javik." The prothean said, looking quite offended.

"Whatever." the shaman said, guiding them to one of the massive Tomka trucks.

As they rode in the bumpy vehicle, the shaman began speaking of how Clan Urdnot was the most powerful one on Tuchanka. And that while many can fight, one must also be able to inspire others to fight with them and for them. As the vehicle stopped, he said, "You must go ahead. There it will be clear what you are to do."

Grunt nodded, and walked forward into a fairly large arena which had a maw hammer at the back, beside a pair of broken fans. Jessica walked tentatively up to it, and hit the glowing green button of the maw hammer.

Then, a krogan's voice spread through the area, saying, "First, the krogan were given Tuchanka. A harsh world only we were fit to conquer!"

While he spoke, the hammer rose high into the sky, then came crashing down. The ground shook for a moment, then a horde of varren ran into the area. Grunt grinned, and pulled out his Piranha shotgun, and opened fire on the dog-like creatures. Jessica pulled out a sniper rifle and kept her distance from the animals, while Javik pulled out his particle rifle and moved throughout the battlefield, deftly evading the pouncing creatures.

Grunt roared with satisfaction as he headbutted a varren so hard that its skull caved in, and shot another one until it was nothing more than a red stain on the ground. He then charged the largest varren, and when it pounced on him, knocking him to the ground, he just broke its neck.

Meanwhile, Jessica had just killed a pair of varren with a single round from her widow. And Javik had killed another two with a short burst of fire from his particle rifle. Then, a pair of varren tried to pounce Jessica, but found themselves thrown into the air by her biotics.

Javik said[B7] , "Impressive."

"You haven't seen shit yet, Prothy." she said, as she then tore the varren in half with dark energy.

The prothean shook his head, and didn't say anything more, while a blood-covered Grunt walked up laughing. He said, "This is fun, Shepard! Hit the button again."

She said, "In a moment. Make sure your weapons have a fresh thermal clip and your protection is at a hundred percent."

The krogan complied, while the prothean shook his head and said, "Your thermal clips are a strange change in weaponry. You go from infinite ammunition to a limited source, for no good reason."

The Spectre laughed, and said, "With thermal clips our weapons can hit harder without as much of a delay for cool-down. So, we may not be able to fire as much overall, but we can fire more in a shorter period of time." while she walked over to the maw hammer and hit the button again.

Once more a krogan's voice spread throughout the area. "After we destroyed Tuchanka, then came the salarians to beg for our aid. To ask us to fight an enemy only we could defeat."

As the hammer slammed into the ground, A pair of harvesters flew by, and dropped dozens of klixen on the ground. Jessica swore under her breath, and pulled out her harrier, activating warp ammo, while using an incineration blast to take out the closest klixen's armor. A burst of fire from her assault rifle quickly dispatched it, but three more had come to get her. She dropped an arc grenade right in front of her, frying her shields, but also stunning the fire-breathing creatures long enough for her to back up and hit the three of them until the thermal clip was shot out. She quickly put another clip in, but in her haste to put it in hadn't gotten it slightly off, and the weapon jammed. She put it on her back, and instead used the Reegar Carbine to finish off the last klixen coming for her.

Meanwhile, Grunt had charged a pair of the things, and had promptly had his armor burned by the klixen. He roared, and slammed a shotgun into one's face, holding the trigger until the clip was empty. He just tossed his weapon aside, and grabbed another klixen. He snapped its back on his knee, and then killed the third one by ramming his hand down its throat, and then letting go of a grenade he'd been holding. As the explosive detonated, the klixen was torn apart from the inside out.

Javik, on the other hand had simply hit the things with a dark channel, and then detonated it with a shockwave field. However, three more charged him, and he had to fall back, firing his particle rifle at them, until it overheated, leaving him with only a predator pistol. As he fired twelve rounds from it into the klixen, the creature shrugged off the relatively weak rounds, and knocked Javik down by running into his legs. He groaned as it began to stab at his face, his barriers barely holding its attacks off. As it beat at him, he felt himself slip from consciousness, and was engulfed in silence. Until a single round broke the silence, and the klixen fell to Javik's side.

As the prothean's vision cleared, he saw Jessica offer him a hand to help him get up. He wordlessly accepted her help, then said, "I have gotten rusty. I should have been able to handle them."

"Everyone loses their edge if they're not fighting much for a long period of time. You've had fifty-thousand years to lose your edge."

"I should have been able to handle it with ease."

"Most people wouldn't be able to handle this. You got overrun by four klixen. I've seen veteran soldiers get their asses handed to them by one." Jessica said, as she popped the clip out of her harrier manually, then carefully put it back in. She made sure her shields were up, then said, "Grunt, get your gear ready! I think we're about to fight a thresher maw. Seeing as it's the only thing left that's bigger than harvesters and klixen."

The krogan roared with savage delight, and pulled out his missile launcher.

Jessica then asked Javik, "Who let the krogan have a missile launcher?"

"I believe it was the old human."

"I'll have to tell him he's a goddamn genius. I never thought of that."

"I believe you have a very twisted sense of the word genius. And, why do you damn your god?

"Old human saying." she said, as she pulled out her M920 Cain, before nervously walking up to the hammer, and pressing the button once more.

For a third time, a krogan's voice filled the arena. It said, "Now, all krogan carry the genophage. Our reward, and our destruction."

When the maw hammer hit the ground, it did not shake only for a moment, but continued to do so, until the ground just outside the arena on the right side of the hammer burst open, and out came a thresher maw. It spat a ball of acid directly at the group of three, all of whom barely managed to evade the attack.

Jessica started to charge up the Cain, when the thresher disappeared below the ground. She looked at the other two with her, and saw that Javik looked relieved, while Grunt looked clearly disappointed. Until the thresher came back up on the east flank. Then, the krogan's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and he started firing his missile launcher right at the beast, laughing like a maniac the entire time.

Javik, on the other hand, was quiet, the look on his face one of grim acceptance. He fired his particle rifle at the thresher, but it had little effect.

The massive creature was focused on Grunt, until suddenly, it made a ninety-degree turn and was facing Jessica. The light from her Cain was indicating it was fully charged, and she quietly said, "Burn in hell, you goddamn monster." before releasing the trigger. As the round flew towards the thresher, it suddenly descended into the ground again. And, the Cain shot flew uselessly onward. Eventually hitting a krogan building and destroying it.

Jessica looked pissed, but her expression was not visible to Javik or Grunt for very long, because then the thresher came up directly behind her, and lunged right at her. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as it grabbed her with the glowing blue tentacle coming from its mouth, and it dropped below the ground, carrying her screaming form into the ground.

Javik was quiet, and then said, "We must find her. There will be great trouble if we don't."

"You're right." Grunt said, "We'll need to contact the Normandy, and speak to Wrex."

Then, the shaman of Urdnot ran up, and said, "You have passed the Rite of Passage, Urdnot Grunt."

He ignored the shaman, and said, "We need to see the clan leader. There's something he needs to know." The young krogan said.

"Yes, I notice your human companion is gone. Wrex will not be pleased about that."

Meanwhile, Javik was on the radio, he said, "Normandy, come in."

Joker asked, "This is Normandy. You guys need something?"

"Yes. We need everyone. Shepard has been... grabbed by a thresher maw."

"One managed to get her? Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit!"

-=0=-

EDI said, "Calm down Jeff."

"Shit! They got Jessica. Get Miranda down here, now."

"Shepard ordered that she be let sleep." EDI said.

"Shepard's in danger!" Joker countered.

"Very well. Ms. Lawson has been told that you have asked her come down to the bridge."

"Alright." Joker said, activating the scanner system.

EDI said, "Jeff, the scanners cannot locate a thresher maw. They are to locate specific minerals that could be used by the Alliance."

"Dammit! We have to find her!"

A few moments later, Miranda walked up to the bridge, looking as perfect as always. She asked, "Why'd you want me to come up here, Joker?"

"It's an emergency. Jessica was grabbed by a thresher maw."

"What!" Miranda said, her voice raising a couple of octaves higher than she had intended.

"She was grabbed by a thresher on the ground, while helping Grunt." Javik said, "We were going through the krogan Rite of Passage when it dropped into the ground, and grabbed her with its mouth-tentacle."

Tears filled Miranda's eyes, and she said, "Jessie's dead? Again?"

"No. Just as it grabbed her, she was surrounded by an incredibly powerful mass effect field that covered her like a suit of armor. It would take hours for the maw to get through that, even with its full might. I don't know how Shepard did it, but she managed to create dreadnaught-level strength protection in a split second."

"So, she could still be alive. We have to find her." Miranda said, "EDI, get all members of the ground team ready to move in ten minutes."

"Done. Are there any other orders?"

"Tell Kasumi to bring me a drink." Miranda said.

"Now would not be a good time to be intoxicated, Ms. Lawson." EDI said.

"Just tell her to do it, EDI."

A moment later EDI asked, "How strong?"

"Pretty weak. I just need something to sooth my nerves enough that I can actually be useful."

"Understood. She's bringing a bottle of asari plum wine."

"Good." Miranda said.

A few minutes later, the normally-cheerful master thief handed Miranda the bottle, and said, "I also brought your guns." pulling out a sniper rifle, a couple of pistols, and an SMG . Miranda opened the bottle of wine with her biotics, and after a few swallows put it on EDI's projection pad, and grabbed her equipment. Then she grabbed the bottle and downed some more of it, before Kasumi took it from her. "Don't bury Shep just yet, Miranda." Kasumi said.

"I haven't." Miranda said, "But that was the weakest bottle of wine I've ever drunk from."

"I admit, I put in a little something to bring down its proof." Kasumi said, as the two of them walked towards the elevator. Waiting by it were Jacob and Ashley.

Ashley said, "EDI told us that Skipper's in trouble and you wanted us to be ready to move in ten. We've also got Mordin's kit."

"Good. We're going to need everyone who isn't essential to the Normandy's function. And, I mean everyone." she said.

Kasumi nodded, and a minute later had Kelly, who now had a pistol and a suit of battle armor.

As the elevator was packed with ground team members and non-critical ship personnel, Miranda hit the button to the docking bay. The pair of shuttles were there, and Cortez looked surprised to see so many people come out of the elevator.

Miranda said, "Cortez, fire up both of the shuttles. We're all going to Tuchanka."

"Understood. The second one will need someone to fly it."

"I'll handle it." Zaeed said.

"I'm not sure you're the best one to have flying a shuttle." Garrus said, "I've got it."

"No way am I letting you fly a shuttle." Said Bau, "You have no shuttle training."  
"I know how to fly." the turian said.

"ENOUGH!" Miranda shouted. "Tali will fly the second shuttle. If anyone has a problem with that, please let me know."

No one complained, possibly because Miranda looked like she'd just break their backs with her biotics if they did. As the enormous group of people got into the pair of shuttles, Miranda sat quietly in the cockpit of shuttle one. She just stared into space, and thought, _'Hang on, Jessica. We're coming to find you.'_

-=0=-

Wrex said, "Could you repeat that, prothean?"

"Commander Shepard has been grabbed by a thresher maw, and we need your help to find her."  
"That thresher could be anywhere on Tuchanka by now. It's nest is at a crossroad underground. I wish I could help you, but I can't."

"You have plenty of krogan to search for her, don't you?" The prothean asked, "Or is your clan not strong enough to search for a single human?"

"If we tried to search the entire planet, it would make us spread too thin, and some of the opposing clans could strike. If that happened, then any chance of krogan unity would be destroyed."

Mordin said, "If you cannot help Shepard, then krogan are not ready for genophage cure. Will destroy all data on it. Put you back years."

"You wouldn't dare." Wrex said, looking Mordin right in the eye.

The scientist said, "Shepard is important. No Shepard, no mission through Omega 4 relay. No mission through Omega 4 relay, no human colonies left when reapers show up. Lack of colonies when reapers show up would lead to humanity being in a vastly weakened state, less able to fight the reapers. Would be best if Shepard was found before the thresher maw killed her."

"I'll help you find Shepard. I don't like taking such a risk, but I'm not going to let the krogan go extinct because you destroyed the only hope we have of a cure." Wrex said, but while his tone indicated he was angry, the look in his eyes showed that he was grateful to Mordin.

Eve stepped forward, and said, "We will all search. Males and females."

"That's too dangerous. We can't afford to lose a single fertile female." Wrex said.

"And the galaxy cannot afford to lose Shepard." Eve said, "She's the only one alive that will be able to get the various races to actually work together."

Wrex sighed, and said, "Fine, but you'll go everywhere with guards."

"Fair enough." The female shaman said.

-=0=-

Hannah Shepard was sitting in her office on the SSV Orizaba when a communication request appeared. It was from Miranda. _'Why would Miranda be contacting me? Especially when she and Jessica are on a mission like they are right now?'_ thought Hannah, before accepting the transmission.

Miranda was sitting in a shuttle, from the looks of it, and looked incredibly worried. "What's wrong, Miranda?"

"Jessica's missing underground on Tuchanka. We're looking for as many people as possible to look for her."

"How did my little girl get lost on Tuchanka?" Hannah demanded.

"She was on a mission with Grunt and Javik, and she was grabbed by a thresher maw. Javik says that she was able to pull up a dreadnaught-level barrier before it crushed her, though. He thinks that she'll be able to last for about twenty-hours. I know the Orizaba's a single relay jump away, so I thought I'd ask for your help."

"We'll set course for Tuchanka immediately. Every last one of our people will be on the ground looking for her in two hours."

"Good. I-I don't know what I'd do if I lost her again." Miranda said, tears falling down her face.

"It'll be alright. Jessica's a strong one, and I doubt that even a thresher maw would be able to keep her away from you. From what she's said to me, the only things that have ever kept you apart are death and the risk of death."

"She told you about the Butcher problem?"

"A little bit after she left you to protect you, she spoke to me about it. I was surprised she'd had the willpower to do it. I knew she was strong, but that. I thought she'd sooner fight a dreadnaught on foot than do it. I was a bit saddened to find out about it, to be honest. But, things all worked out for the best."

"I just hope that it happens the same way this time."

"It will, Miranda. If your prothean friend says she's got twenty-hours, chances are she's got a week. Especially if there is this Warrior thing protecting her."

"I just hope the Warrior protecting her will be enough." Miranda said as she cut the line of communication.

"So do I." Hannah whispered, "So do I, Miranda." before walking out of her office, and saying, "Change course to the krogan DMZ. We'll be planetside on Tuchanka in two hours. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am." Jonathan Williams, the ship's pilot said. "Planetside Tuchanka. Two hours. What for?"

"My daughter's missing, and we're going to help find her. If anyone has a problem, you can bring it right to me. And, I'll be sure to inform the council that you were not happy with helping find the best Spectre they've ever had."

No complaints were raised, and Hannah smiled, "That's all." she said, before returning to her office.

**A/N: This chapter was a ton of fun to write. And, also kinda tense too. I hope you had as much fun/tension reading this as I did writing it. Thanks for reading, and please review! As well as favorite and follow if you have not already.**


	61. Chapter 60: The Hunt for Shepard

Wrex, Grunt, and Eve walked out of the Urdnot encampment, and the older krogan walked over to a large plate of metal. Then Grunt asked, "Aren't we supposed to be going to the thresher maw tunnels?"

"We are." Wrex said.

"It looks like we're just walking around."

Eve said, "These metal plates cover the entrance to thresher tunnels. They are used to mark the entrances, as well as to prevent anyone from stumbling into them. If you had been raised on Tuchanka, you would know this."

The young krogan nodded, and helped Wrex pick the heavy plate up, throwing it aside. The three krogan jumped into the enormous tunnel. As they walked through it, Wrex pulled out a shotgun. Hours passed, as the three krogan marched through the tunnel. Then, Wrex stopped in his tracks. He said, "We're going to wait here until other teams arrive."

"Why?" Grunt asked.

"This is the Kalros tunnel."

"Kalros?" Grunt asked.

"The mother of all thresher maws. She is several times the size of any other thresher maw, and could easily kill us all."

The young krogan nodded, and sat down beside Wrex and Eve.

-=0=-

Meanwhile Miranda, Garrus, and an Urdnot guide walked through the Tuchanka wasteland, until their guide lifted a plate, and said, "The tunnel we're going to be checking is down here. You'll have to be careful, and keep your weapons at the ready. Fighting a thresher maw in their tunnel is far different from fighting one above ground. If you see one coming, you want to hold absolutely still, until its head is well past you, so that you can hit it in its vulnerable back side."

"Wouldn't the thresher maw fill the tunnel?" Garrus asked.

"Thresher tunnels are about seven feet wider around than the thresher maw. If we're careful, and don't go too far out, we'll be fine."

Miranda nodded and pulled out her sniper rifle. Then the krogan added, "Oh right, also don't use biotics. Threshers can somehow detect the dark energy flow."

"Got it." Miranda said.

They were walking through the tunnel for a long time, when the ground began to shake. Then, it quit. Garrus asked, "What was that?"

"Just a small quake. They happen all the time." the krogan said.

The turian nodded, and as they continued moving through the tunnel, more quakes came. Then, the krogan said, "It looks like I was wrong. That's a thresher coming my way."

"We don't have time for it." Miranda said, "We need to find Jessica!"

"We'll find her. With luck, the thresher will go into a different tunnel before it reaches us."

"And if we aren't lucky?"

"We'll have a pretty long delay. Just, hold still for a little while, aliens. We don't want to risk dying because we're in a hurry."

"Are we near another tunnel?"

"We're about two kilometers from the meeting point with the other teams. There aren't any other tunnels before that. We have to wait."

-=0=-

Thane, Tali, and their own guide walked through the tunnel they had been guided to, watching the area carefully. They walked through the tunnel, then, Thane saw a small mark in the wall. He walked over to it, and saw that it was a simple symbol. The N7 symbol with an arrow pointing in the way they were headed. He said, "We're on the right path. Shepard must have left this N7 mark on the wall.

"How'd she manage to get it down so quickly?"

"Must have been a drone that did it for her."

"We have more info. Shepard's being taken towards the rendezvous point. We should contact the other teams."

"We can't. The walls will block any signal that we try to send out." the krogan said.

Tali said, "Shit! We need to move fast then."

"Indeed." Thane said, as they began to run through the tunnel.

-=0=-

Kasumi and Kelly were following a large Gatatog krogan through the tunnels, when suddenly, he just stopped in his tracks. The thief asked, "What's the problem?"

"Something smells wrong." The krogan said, "Like there should be something here that isn't."  
"What's missing?"

"I don't know, human."

Kelly looked, around, and said, "This part doesn't look any different from the rest of the tunnel."

"I know this tunnel. It's slightly off, human."

"We need to keep moving. Shep's in danger." Kasumi said.

"We aren't making a single move until I'm certain that this tunnel is safe to go through."

"We don't really have time. We need to find some kind of sign of Shep being taken through this tunnel if she was."

"If you want to risk your lives, that's not my problem. But, Urdnot Wrex told me that there would be serious consequences if you two got injured. So, we're staying here until we can be sure that it's safe."

"How are we going to tell that it's safe?" Kelly asked.

"I'll know soon. I might be imagining it, but there's something off."

"Well, hurry it up!" Kasumi said.

A few moments later, the krogan replied, "It's safe. It's just that something... is slightly off. The tunnel appears to be stable."

"Then let's get going." Kasumi and Kelly said simulataneously .

-=0=-

Hannah Shepard walked out of the shuttle, and was greeted by a large group of krogan. The largest one said, "Captain Shepard, we have been ordered by Urdnot Wrex to guide you and your men through the thresher tunnels while you look for Commander Shepard."

"I wasn't expecting a krogan escort, but I'll accept it. Lead the way."

"You'll need to split your group into two man units with a guide."

Hannah nodded, and twenty minutes later, the groups were moving through the Tuchanka wasteland. Occasionally, a group split off at the order of their guide, and eventually it was just Hannah's group approaching a single tunnel. Inside, the smell nearly made the two humans gag.

The krogan said, "Hmm, a thresher using this tunnel died recently."

"How can you be so calm about this stench?" Hannah asked.

"You get used to it." the krogan simply said, leading them down the path.

"Is this the right way to be looking? This isn't the start of the tunnel." the sergeant Hannah had brought with her asked.

"It's the right way. Any further back would just go straight to where Shepard was grabbed. If she is still alive, and the thresher maw took her through this tunnel, this would be the way to go."  
Hannah said, "Then we should start moving quickly, if we're going to find her." and silently added, _'We have to be fast enough to rescue her.'_

-=0=-

Jessica groaned as she woke up. She looked around, and saw that she was in a sterile white room, illuminated by a gentle white light. She stood up, and then, she heard a rumble coming her way. Then, the wall opened, and the head of a thresher maw, several times the size of a normal thresher's head, appeared in the hole. Then, Jessica heard an enormous voice in her mind. It said, "Human. I am Kalros."

"Kalros?"

"The krogan know me as the mother of all thresher maws. An accurate title."

"How am I talking to a thresher maw? Why aren't you trying to eat me like the ones on Akuze?"

"Those children have never seen Tuchanka. They have not learned to do anything other than follow their instincts to survive. Had they been born on Tuchanka, they would have learned that we are the guardians of Justice."

"What?"

"We are the guardians of the virtual intelligence Justice. Left here long ago by the creators to ensure that none would find it save the one who created the Warrior."

"What does the Warrior have to do with anything?"

"The Warrior is a sign of one who has incredible willpower. The strength to resist Indoctrination, then to change the result of that failure, is unprecedented. Many believed that it would not happen. However, we remained guardians of it. When the young one who was to take place in the krogan Rite of Passage felt the Warrior's presence, it knew it had to take you here. But, you were not brought here to speak with me, but to speak with Justice. Head to the pedestal in the center of the room to awaken him. He shall explain all to you."

"Is this the same Justice that was on Feros?"

"Yes."

"The Arthannel made the reapers? I thought they were older than that."

"The arthannel were merely a harvested race. Justice is not one of their creations. It is far more powerful than that. You _must_ speak with it. If you are to win the war with the reapers when they arrive, you will need its knowledge."

Jessica sighed, and walked over to the pedestal, and when she stepped on it, she froze. Shock flowed through her veins like blood. Because, the VI's projection was of a human man. One that looked uncannily similar to her father. It said, "Justice activated. What is your inquiry, creator?

"What are you?"

"I am a virtual intelligence created by the human race approximately... unknown number of years ago."

"Why can't you tell how long ago you were created?"

"My chronological equipment was purposefully disabled at the beginning of the cycles."

"Then you can't have been made by humanity, we weren't around when the cycles first started."

"The human species was around when the reapers were created."

"That can't be right. They'd have harvested us if we had been."

"The reapers did harvest humanity. But, we are getting ahead of where we should be. Allow me to explain fully the origins of the reapers, and their purpose."

"What is that?" she asked.

"Before my chronological equipment was disabled, the human race was the most advanced in the galaxy. They were the first to discover mass effect physics, and the ones who constructed the Citadel and the mass relay network. They also performed extensive genetic experiments, in an attempt to gain full knowledge of the secrets of how evolution had occurred, by simulating it in multiple different new kinds of organic life that they created at a basic level. Over the years, they found the secret, and then began performing different experiments, to see what levels of life they could create."

Jessica interrupted, "Do you have that information about why we evolve?"

"Negative. That was not stored in me."

"Alright, you can get back to your story."

"After a great multitude of experiments, in which many of the life forms that you find strange were created. Including the asari, thorians, keepers, and thresher maws. After a while, the creators created what was viewed at the time, as their greatest genetic invention. Enormous creatures that stood one thousand five hundred feet tall. These creatures had the ability to bend organic minds to their will, but it had been made so that it did not affect humans. These creations, the Leviathans, were used to punish the worst criminals. They lost their own free will, and were turned into unwitting slaves of society, to repay their great debt."

"That's monstrous."

"These were the worst of criminals. Criminals who had been captured and put through rehabilitation, but instead of staying honest members of society, continued to commit their crimes. Or, committed even worse crimes. Your predecessors viewed it as a form of punishment that would prevent anyone from committing crimes. Unfortunately, they did not realize that the Leviathans were starting to get out of control. Enthralling innocents, as well as those sentenced to enthrallment. Over time, entire species were lost to enthrallment. After a while, this meeting was held by the creators." the VI said, as it vanished, and the entire area turned into one enormous projector to show the conversation.

Six humans sat in chairs that were clearly in the Citadel Tower. One of them, a young man, said, "It would be best to leave the Leviathans to control the worlds that they have enthralled. At least then the people will survive, unlike your reaper plan." he said, while looking at a man with only a few silver hairs left upon his head.

A middle-aged woman said, "But, if we leave the Leviathans to enthrall the other species, how long will it be before they realize they cannot enthrall us, and decide to use the other races to destroy us, leaving nothing left of our race to be preserved, and be used to re-seed us when the time is right?"

"Better to survive than die and be turned into machines."

"What is so objectionable about sacrificing ourselves to ensure that life will be able to develop without the danger of enthrallment?" the old man asked.

"Not to prevent their enthrallment, but turn ourselves into machines!"

"What do you have against machines? The many AI have never caused us trouble. We have lived in peaceful co-existence with them, having a mutually beneficial relationship." A short, fat woman said.

"It is not that machines themselves are bad, but that we are organics. Why should we change what we are, to 'preserve' our race? If we change our our form, are we really preserving humanity? Or are we destroying it?"

"Humans would be destroyed, but human genetic code would still exist." the fifth, a tall man with two synthetic eyes said.

"We are more than our genetic code! Humanity is not just about genetics, it is about our culture. How we treat things. That is just as much of what makes us human as genetics."

"That will be preserved. The re-seeded humans would grow on earth[B9] , just as the current human race did. This is merely a temporary solution if we do not manage to entirely destroy the Leviathan species. There is a chance that it will not work, in which case then the harvest will be done. With the consent of the species." the last one, a woman with long blue hair said.

"Better to live, then to die." the man stubbornly said.

Then, the elderly man said, "Do you view their survival as so important that the other species must lose their freedom to survive? I say it is not. To survive as a slave is not life. To live is to be free. It is better to die a free organic, than to die a slave."

The young man was quiet for a while, then said, "You are right."

"Then let there be a vote on what is to be done on the proposal."

One, after another said, "I vote in favor of the proposal."

Once they had all said that, the elderly man said, "Very well, the Reaper Project will begin."

Then, the recording ended, and Justice said, "The project was a success, and six part organic, part synthetic reapers were made. The two most prominent of them were Sovereign, made from the essence of humanity, and Harbinger, made from the essence of the Leviathans. They led the reapers in the war against the Leviathans, which was mostly a success, but some survived. The creators knew that if it was left that way, the enthrallment would resume after the Leviathans rebuilt their numbers. So, the races agreed to be turned into more reapers. Then, they left through the Citadel Relay."

"Why are the reapers still harvesting, if humanity is back? And, where does the Citadel Relay really lead?"

"The Citadel Relay was originally an experimental mass relay to travel to other galaxies. It was... not successful. From it humanity learned what would be needed to build inter-galactic relays, but, before they could be started, the Leviathans became a threat, and then, they were not annihilated entirely as was intended. The last humans, and the other species then formulated the plan of turning the Citadel into the trap that it was until the previous cycle. The keepers were given new purpose, and then, the new reapers were built. Over the many cycles, however, they were too frequent, and evolution could not keep up. Eventually, all life in the galaxy, save the last few Leviathans who had escaped to some unknown corner of the galaxy, had been harvested. There was no more life to harvest, so, the plan was modified. The old life was seeded on their worlds before the Leviathans were finished. This has been how the cycles have happened for an unknown number. I was only given access to the general details of how things went, and Sovereign's demise has since cut off my connection to reaper information. It will have to be re-established should you fail to end the cycles now."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jessica asked.

"Indoctrination, while it is a revolting weapon, it did not exist to grant the reapers control over organics. Like the Leviathans they were formed after, but to give birth to the Butchers, in the hope that one would be turned into a Warrior. The one who bore Warrior would have the knowledge to guide the people of the Cycle to victory, and then, to re-discover the knowledge of the ancient humans, through it being passed on by several VIs and AIs that were left behind."

"You mean, _I'm_ supposed to re-discover the tech to build mass relays, create new species from scratch, and simulate evolution?"

"It was left behind. You will simply have to find the intelligences that hold it."

"Can I go back to my people, now? They're definitely going to be freaking out about me."

"There is one last thing you should know. Even though you bear the Warrior, the reapers will still seek to destroy you. They are... trapped in the cycle. They cannot break free. But the genetic code of the races that make them up is not only stored in the reaper, it is transmitted to several VIs so that it would not be lost if a reaper was."

"Got it. Can I go now?"

"Yes." Justice said.

Kalros then said, "Get upon my back, I shall take you to your companions."

"Uh, how? You're a bit big."

"Stand upon my... tentacle, and I shall move you onto my back."

"Alright." she said, stepping onto the glowing blue appendage. Then, the giant creature put her on its back, and then was riding the massive creature through the tunnels.

-=0=-

Miranda, Garrus, and their guide reached the Kalros path, and were greeted by Wrex, Grunt, Eve, Tali, Thane, Mordin, Javik, Kasumi, Kelly, Samara, Jack, Ashley, and Jacob. The krogan chief, said, "Shepard was taken to the Kalros tunnel. We're just waiting for most of the teams to show up, that way we can go in, and fight our way to Shepard."

"She's in there? How long do we have?"

"She'll be fine for a while longer." Javik said, "We'll need more teams to be able to eliminate Kalros so we can safely get to Shepard."

Then, another few teams showed up. They included Zaeed and Bau, Hannah and a Sergeant, and several teams of Alliance marines and krogan. Wrex said, "Alright. We've been here about two hours. We need to go in and get Shepard before she ends up as thresher maw lunch."

Miranda nodded, and the enormous group started running through the tunnel. Ten minutes passed in silence as they ran. Then, they saw that the path split in two. Wrex said, "If Shepard was taken to the Kalros tunnel, she's probably been taken down the right. That's where the mother of all thresher maws makes her den."

However, just as they started to walk down the path, they felt the ground, shake, and Wrex said, "Kalros is coming! Hide!"

"If Kalros came from that direction, then that could be where Jessica is!" Hannah said.

"You don't want to fight Kalros. Entire krogan clans have been destroyed because they tried to."

Before they could say anything, though, the shaking stopped, and Kalros lay before them, and Jessica was on the thresher maw's back. Everyone just stood there looking stunned, then Jessica hopped off of it, and patted Kalros on the side, and the creature went back the way it had come.

Miranda sprinted into Jessica, knocking the N7 marine down as she collided into her. She frantically kissed Jessica, until the Spectre pulled away and said, "Wrex, we need to get topside. Where's a way out?"

Wrex was quiet, then he asked, "Were you really riding Kalros?"

"Yes, yes I was. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, it's just, you were riding a thresher maw like a giant horse. How did you do that?"

"Eh, Kalros and I had a chat, then she offered me a lift back to you guys."

Eve disbelievingly said, "The Mother of all thresher maws offered you a ride?"

"Yeah. I was just as surprised as you are. But, it was actually a really comfy ride." Jessica said, as she turned her head towards Miranda, and said, "Could you loosen your grip so I can stand up?"

Miranda didn't respond, but instead just clung closer to Jessica. The Commander smiled, but then it vanished, as she remembered what she was going to have to tell the council.

She managed to extricate herself from Miranda's arms, then asked Wrex again, "Where's an exit?"

"Right this way." The clan-chief said.

Once they were on the surface, Hannah asked, "Jessica, what's wrong? You don't seem yourself."

The Commander replied, "If you want to know, you can be in the room when I speak to the Council. They need to be the first ones to hear what I have to say."

"What is it?"

"I can't tell anyone." she said, as they climbed into the shuttle, and a few minutes later had arrived on the Normandy. Miranda was still holding tightly onto Jessica, though only her hand. She said, "EDI, get the council on the line. I need to talk to them now."

"They will see you in twenty minutes." the AI said.

"Tell them that I have news about the reapers, and that its the most information we've gotten about them yet."

"They still will see you in twenty minutes, though they are very curious about it."

"I'm sure they are." Jessica said, as she sat down in the communications center.

"There was reaper data down there?" Miranda asked.

"Better." Jessica replied.

"What?"

"You'll find out in twenty." she said.

Hannah said, "What is it that you can't share it with us now?"

"It... it will change the viewpoint of every person who hears it."

"Do you mean it will make them not want to fight the reapers?"

"No, they'll still want to do that, but, it will change the politic balance of the galaxy."

"How?" Miranda asked.

"You'll see, Miri." Jessica grimly said. "I just hope it doesn't cause too much trouble. And that the council believes me."

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Like I said, you'll see. And, Miranda, you know I'd tell you anything if it isn't _too_ important to tell to anyone before the council."

"I do. But, that's still fifteen minutes away."

"Yeah. How's Oriana doing?"

"She wanted to come along, but I sent her back to the Normandy to help Gardner."

"Good. She wouldn't have been much help in the tunnels."

An awkward silence then took over the room, until the council came up on the line. Anderson asked, "What's going on Jessica?"

"Sir, this may be very hard to believe. If I had not seen the VI that told me it, and the video it showed me, I would probably not believe it myself. You may want to sit down."

Sparatus asked, "Why?"

"This is the unmodified truth of the reapers origins, and why they are performing the harvest."  
"Then tell us." Valern said.

Jessica took a deep breath, and recited the tale of what Justice had told her. When she finished, Anderson said, "Humanity created the reapers?"

"Yes, sir."

"And, they were created to eliminate these Leviathan creatures?"  
"Yes sir."

Sparatus asked, "Why haven't the reapers just scoured the galaxy to find these creatures, then leave the races behind?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Understood. This gives us some information on the reapers, but beyond that, it doesn't seem important." Valern said.

Jessica sighed with relief as the tension that she'd been feeling vanished. She said, "I was a bit worried that you'd say that since humanity made the reapers, we weren't fit to be on the council."

"If it weren't for humanity we might not have the reapers, but we also wouldn't have the mass relays." Sparatus said, "And, you've proven that while your species may have in the past built the reapers, you aren't their allies."

"Good. Is there anything else you need?"

Anderson said, "I'd like to speak with you in private."

"What about?"

"In private, Jessica."

"Understood. I'll talk to you in my quarters."

Anderson nodded and cut off the comm link. Jessica said, "I should go and see what Anderson wants to talk to me about."

"Yeah, you probably should." Hannah said.

When Jessica left, Miranda asked, "What are you going to be doing next?"

"I'll be heading back to the Orizaba once all of the crew has gotten back on board. Then, we'll be going to do our original mission. Hopefully command won't be too upset about us helping look for Jessica. I don't want to have to pull in favors to prevent them telling me that I have to step down from commanding a vessel if I can be pulled away to look for my daughter."

"You could always say that you were looking for a Spectre who was working on bringing an end to the abductions."

Hannah laughed, and said, "Do you always find ways to avoid trouble with your superiors, when you do something you technically shouldn't?"

"Back when I was in Cerberus, TIM often got on my case for not eliminating an alien who I'd had to work with in order to get information to stop a batarian attack on a human colony. He said that I was supposed to not leave any aliens alive, whether or not they helped us. It wasn't rare that I'd kill a contact if they could still be useful. A couple of them found too much info on my past, and so I had to kill them, but it was only a pair of salarians who found out everything about my past."

"Why do you and Jessica call the Illusive Man TIM?"

"It was just a nickname that she started using a while back. I think it was when she first spoke to him on the station we took her to after Lazarus station was compromised."

"You don't sound too surprised that it happened."

"Wilson- the man who betrayed us on Lazarus- was always a little bit... off. In hindsight, it makes sense. If only I'd known ahead of time, maybe she'd not have had such a rude awakening."

"Knowing her, and her father, it would probably have always had something to do with explosions. I remember our wedding day. John insisted that that we have fireworks that shot up when we kissed. What he didn't tell me was that by 'fireworks' he meant the krogan definition. There were several floating devices that when hit with enough force, they'd shoot out a bunch of different colored sparks, and they could be designed to go out in patterns. Well, John... he used missiles to make so they shot out the sparks." Hannah laughed sadly, and continued, "When they hit the devices, it blew a tree near the detonation point apart. We had to pay the owner of the facility off so that he didn't sue us for damages done to his land."

"Wait, he used missiles to detonate fireworks? That seems like overkill."

"It runs in the family. Jessica used a nuclear device to destroy Saren's cloning facility."

"That wasn't her plan." Miranda retorted.

"Yes, but I can guarantee she loved every last second of anticipation for the big explosion."

"Jessica, she doesn't seem to have all that much love for explosives. At least not since Virmire."

"Losing a close friend to explosives, and Alenko was one of her first friends in the Alliance, only Joker's known her longer, changes you."

Miranda nodded, and said, "Yeah, and she was upset about it for a while, but she held together."

"She always has. Only times she's ever really been broken are when she lost you, after Mindoir, and after Akuze." Hannah shook her head, and said, "A lot of good people died that day. And, I know Cerberus was behind it."

"Yes, I was pissed when I found out about it." She added to herself, _'And I found out pretty bloody soon, since I'd been keeping an eye on her to see if it was going to actually be her.'_

-=0=-

Jessica sat down at her desk, and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about, Anderson?"

"I wanted your opinion of someone."

"Who?"

"An asari matriarch named Aethyta."

"The bartender here on Illium?"

"The former bartender. Recently quit, because she's being raised to councilor."

"Why? She was disgraced in the eyes of other asari."

"With the impending threat of the reapers, the asari seemed to think they'd need a councilor who was supportive of military action and expenditure. What do you think of her?"

"You'll get along great with her. She's practically you in the body of an asari."

Anderson chuckled, and asked, "Really? She's like an asari version of me?"

"Yes, sir. Skilled combatant, not one for letting politics getting in the way of doing the job, fond of maintaining a strong military for defensive, and if necessary counter-offensive movements. And, she doesn't take shit from her subordinates. Also, only really likes female partners."

Anderson nodded, and said, "That's all."

"What happened to councilor Tevos?"

"She did something that pissed off the matriarchs, and had to go hide in the avoidance colonies."

"Understood. Well, sir, I should get going. We have to head to a derelict reaper to meat with Legion and recover an IFF so we can pass through the Omega 4."

"Well, I won't keep you then, Jessica. And one more thing, Commander, give them hell for me."

"I will, sir. Just keep the races preparing for war."

"Don't worry about it, Jessica. Just make sure that you're ready to fight when they arrive."

"When the reapers entire our galaxy, the Normandy will be at the head of the fleets to kill them."

"Didn't expect anything else." Anderson said, as he walked away. Jessica went down to the CIC, and was instantly hugged by Oriana. The young Lawson said, "When I heard that you'd been taken I freaked out! How'd the thresher maw get you? I thought you could handle it."

"I had a little bit of trouble moving. Something glued me to the spot."

"What?"

"It's nothing important, Ori. Where's Miri?"

"I think she's still in the comm room talking to your mom."

"Thanks. Oh, and Ori, sorry about Miranda having you help Gardner. You didn't have to clean the toilets, did you?"

"Nope." Oriana cheerfully replied, "He actually is trying to teach me to cook. I'm terrible at it."  
"Don't worry, you'll get better at it if you try. It's just hard at first." Jessica said as she walked into the comm room.

Inside, Hannah and Miranda were talking about how the Normandy would be going through the Omega 4 in under a week. Then, the elder Shepard saw Jessica and said, "Oh, there you are Jessica. I was just waiting for you to finish your mysterious chat with David before going back to the Orizaba. And, you be careful out there. I don't want to hear you were grabbed by a Collector and they had to hunt you down again."

"I'll be sure to do that, mom. But, there's no guarantee that we'll succeed. I want you to know that even if we don't make it back I love you. And, don't be too sad if I die too."

Hannah shook her head, and said, "I've already had my entire family dead for a while. Two years of it was hard. An entire lifetime, I'd probably go mad."

"Then I'll be sure to tell the Omega 4 that if it doesn't put us in where we'll be nice and safe when we go through, that it'll have to deal with you. It'll be so scared that it'll send us right where we want to be." Jessica joked.

"And if it doesn't, I'll be sure to give both you and the relay a proper scolding. Don't think you're too old for it." Hannah said warningly.

"I'm sure you would." Jessica said as she gave her mother a hug. When Hannah got out onto the Orizaba, Jessica said, "Joker, set course for Legion's destination."

"Got it. We'll be there in a few days. Unless we run out of fuel. Never traveled that far out of the relay network before."

"If shitty Cerberus ships can get there, the Normandy can too." Jessica shot back.

EDI said, "Cerberus _did_ build the SR2. So, it is safe to assume that not all Cerberus vessels, if any are shitty."

Jessica shook her head, and said, "Just joking around EDI. And, besides, you were made by Cerberus too, and you aren't half bad at what you do."

"Thank you, Shepard."

"No problem." she said, as she took Miranda's hand and went down to deck three.

Once she and Miranda had settled down to get some food, Tali and Lia walked over to their table, and Tali said, "You know, Shepard. When most people are grabbed by a thresher maw, they either kill it or are killed by it. They don't go and get an even bigger one to ride as a horse."

"What can I say," Jessica said, "I'm so bad-ass that even thresher maws want to help me."

Lia said, "Still, you practically gave us all heart attacks when you came in riding that thing. How do you manage to tame the mother of all thresher maws?"

"I didn't tame Kalros. She was already intelligent, and could speak psychically. She offered me a lift because of the Warrior, and then I met up with you guys."

"Why do you have everything so that it's convenient for you?"

"She's talented like that." Miranda said.

"It's a family trait." she said.

Then, EDI said, "Jeff has asked that I inform that the news of your riding Kalros has spread thruoghout the krogan civilization, and all of the krogan save Grunt, Wrex, and Eve have sent you mating requests."

"What? _All_ of the krogan except those three?"

"Yes." EDI replied.

"Dammit. I may have to constantly have Miranda kissing me when I go to Tuchanka from now on." Then her eyes glimmered, and she said, "That actually sounds really nice. Don't you think, Miri?"

"I don't know. It might not turn all the krogan away. We may just have to wait a while before going to Tuchanka again."

"That's not too bad an idea. Even though I've turned the oldest thresher maw into my trusty stead, I'd still rather avoid the things."

Then, Gardner asked, "Wait, what? You turned a thresher maw into a ride?"

"Yeah, I totally rode the mother of all thresher maws like it was a really, really big horse." Jessica said.

Gardner started laughing, and didn't stop until lack of oxygen forced him to. He then said, "Shepard, before I was a bit concerned about this mission not working out properly, but if you can take a giant monster and turn it into your own personal giant horse, then I seriously doubt the Collectors can give us any trouble."

"Thanks for the confidence, Gardner." Jessica said.

-=0=-

**A/N: Alright, this is as good a point to break this off as any, and if I don't stop at some point soon, this chapter will end up going right through the Suicide Mission. It was a fun chapter to write. And, sorry if Jessica learning the history of the reapers was a poorly done exposition dump. But, it was the right time to do it. Also, a big thanks to the guys at the fanfic writers support group for helping me work out the part with Justice and Kalros. Especially Seracen for giving me the idea of having Kalros communicate telepathically.**

**Also, a huge thanks to everyone who's read all the way here. So far has been really fun to write. And, things are going to be ramped up to 12 soon.**

**To every last one of the reviewers, your kind words have made every difficult point of writing for this worth it. I know that if it weren't for you guys, this would still be the stereotype of fanfiction. Which, in my personal experience has not been the case. Especially to NeverStopWrighting for reviewing on almost every single chapter and T3hPrO for always dropping in a kind word when I get down with things. And to Randumbdave for his or her careful analysis, and thoughtful take in his/her reviews. I probably would have gone right on having everyone know everyone else if you hadn't mentioned it.**

**Finally, a massive thanks to MortalWarlock for betaing for me. You've always done a great job on this.**

**Unfortunately, I'm going to be going on hiatus with Meus Mundus until I have found the time to finish ME2 again so that the next few chapters will really have a lot more love and passion for the amazing universe and characters Bioware created in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 that I've been feeling drained of lately. But, don't worry that I won't be doing any writing. I'll be working on a KoTOR fic that the first chapter of should be up sometime around the start of April, the pairing will be Frevan/Bastila, and will be very AU. (For some reason my favorite characters/LIs in games are the ones that start out cold towards you, then warm up to, then have parental issues.)**

**As always, thank you a ton for reading, and please review. But, until I've finished ME2 for the eight thousandth time, this is Cthulu1, the fanfic writer who does not believe in canon(kidding) signing out of Meus Mundus. **


	62. Chapter 61: Dead Gods Can Still Dream 1

**A/N: And here is the glorious return of Meus Mundus! After, wow, almost two months I've finally got another chapter for you guys to read. I apologize for the long wait, but I just wasn't feeling the ME vibes as much as before. Now that I'm done with the ancillary bullshit, I give you chapter sixty-two of Mass Effect: Meus Mundus.**

Joker said, "Jessica, we've arrived at the Derelict reaper."

She walked over, and said, "Damn. Whatever did that must have been incredibly powerful."

"Yeah. Imagine if we had a few dozen of whatever it was on earth. The reapers wouldn't be able to come close to the planet without being torn to pieces."

Jessica said, "No reaper is getting anywhere near earth. We'll destroy them before they set one foot on our homeworld."

"You bet your ass we will." Joker said.

"EDI, have Miri, Thane, Mordin, Bau, and Jacob meet me in the shuttle bay to get on that thing."

"Affirmative, Commander." EDI replied.

Jessica headed to the elevator, and was greeted by Kelly, who said, "Shepard, we've gotten a report from the Alliance that the Collectors tried to attack another colony, but thanks to some information EDI gave them about the defense guns they were able to push them out before anyone was lost."

"That's great news." she said, heading to the elevator. _'At least we finally finished moving the armory down to Deck Five yesterday. That will save some time before every op.'_

Inside the elevator, she was greeted by Miranda, who said, "How are you feeling, Jessica?"

"Nervous. What about you?"

"The same. I still have trouble believing what we're doing."

"It does seem a bit absurd." Jessica said, wrapping an arm around Miranda.

The brunette did the same, and then said, "But, I think that most of your career has been doing what people would call absurd. Like taking a mako through a mass relay, taking on practically an army of batarians on your own, surviving Akuze, and then convincing two Indoctrinated people to kill themselves."

"I didn't convince them to kill themselves. I just showed them that what they were doing was wrong."

"I suppose so." Miranda said as the elevator opened to let Thane in.

The assassin said, "Siha."

"I thought I told you not to call me that, Thane."

"My apologies, Shepard. But, especially when you hold Ms. Lawson you appear to be Siha herself."

"I didn't know Siha was into girls."

"After a great battle with several demons who wished to do harm to the drell people Siha was defeated, but a young drell woman stood up and fought the last standing demon to protect her. When Siha saw the drell fight, she fell deeply in love with her. The woman at first was unwilling. She said that she was unworthy. But Siha was determined to have her, so after a time, they came together as lovers."

"Let me guess, your gods and goddesses didn't like Siha having a female lover." Jessica said.

"No, the Divine Ones allowed it. The love between Siha and the drell woman brought them great honor and glory."

"How does this end poorly?" Miranda asked. "I'm familiar with over a dozen different cultures mythologies, and in every one of them when a divine entity enters into a relationship with a creature that worships it or its masters, it somehow ends poorly."

"Yes, that is common. And it happened in this tale too. Though the Divine Ones did not mind it, there was another angel, Akriel, who had long sought to gain Siha's heart. Seeing her with a mortal brought up great jealousy and anger in him. Eventually, he lost control over his emotions and slew Siha's lover in the dark of night. It is said hebelieved that none would know of his crime. However, when Siha saw her love dead in the Palace of the Angels of Arashu, she knew who had done it, and a great rage came over her. She went to Arashu herself, and told her what had happened. Arashu simply said that she would make sure Akriel would be punished for his crime. This was not enough for her though. So, she stormed the palace of Akriel. When he saw her, he asked what brought rage and sorrow to her face, and she did not reply. Instead, her blade of fire appeared in her hands, and she attacked him. The two fought for many hours, and in the end, Akriel was slain.

When the Divine Ones found out about Siha's actions, they did not punish her, but instead took her to the land of the Oceans. It is said that there she stayed for many months, simply staring at her love in the afterlife which she could never enter. For though created, angels were still not mortals whose bodies would fall apart, but creatures of every age. Then, after that time, Siha threw herself into the oceans, in an attempt to end her life, so that she may be with her love. But, Arashu did not permit it. After that day, Siha resumed her duty, but never again was the musical voice of the archangel heard."

Jessica said, "Why is it that all ancient mythology is so damn dark? You'd think they'd have wanted it to be a bit brighter, to make their lives less depressing."

"The Tale of Siha was a warning for the drell people of old." Thane said, "That to love above your station, would always lead to destruction."  
"When was it written?"

"The tale of Siha's tragic love was written during the days of feudalism in Rakhana."

Then, the elevator door opened, and in walked Mordin, Bau, and Jacob. The group rode the elevator to Deck Five in silence, then Jessica said, "Alright, we don't know much about this thing, but we have strong reason to believe that it can still Indoctrinate people on it. So, we're going to be moving as fast as we safely can once we got on it."

"What's our objective, Shepard?" Jacob asked.

"We're going in to pick up Legion and get a reaper IFF so we can safely go through the Omega 4 relay."

"Is the Normandy ready to take on the Collectors?" Bau asked.

"It's as ready as it's going to get." Miranda said.

Mordin said, "Could still use upgrades. Enemy defenses unknown. Would be beneficial to improve cyber-warfare equipment."

Jessica said, "Unfortunately we don't have the time or resources to make multiple IFFs so that we could take several ships through the relay. Or any knowledge on how to improve EDI's hacking abilities. We're going to have to hope that the Normandy is enough to get through to whatever the Collectors use as a homeworld." Jessica said, as the team climbed into the shuttle. Cortez was about to enter too, when the door closed.

He asked, "What's going on, Shepard?"

"Sorry, Cortez. Ground team only for this op."

"Understood." He said, going back to work on some stuff on a workbench.

Inside, Bau asked, "Will we be splitting into two teams, or staying as a single unit?"

"We'll be staying as a unit. That way we can get through any resistance more quickly."

A few moments later, they landed the shuttle and stepped out. Jessica looked around, and said, "Well, this isn't a good sign. I thought there would at least be some kind of defense here still."

"Either they didn't think that anyone would find them and if someone did the reaper would scare them off, or they're all Indoctrinated." Miranda said, looking around, pulling out a pistol.

"Team, get moving. We don't know what we're up against, so be careful."

They nodded, drawing their weapons. The group stepped through the first door, and were greeted by sterile white walls. "Great, just like where Justice was. Why does humanity like white walls so much?"

"It's cheaper than other colors." Miranda said, "And, research said that it made people feel safer."

"Strange. When I see walls like this I think horrible experiments, ancient AIs or VIs or painful surgeries. Not exactly relaxing." Jessica said.

"In minority." Mordin said.

Thane said, "This place reminds me of the base where we first met."

"Heh, hopefully it doesn't end how that did." Miranda said.

"Yes, I would rather avoid that happening again. I don't think that I would survive if it happened."

"You wouldn't last half a second if you so much as tried to." Jessica said.

Jacob said, "Alright, can we focus on getting through the abandoned station and the reaper, instead of talking about previous missions?"  
"That's a good idea." Jessica said, "We don't want anymore exposure to this than we can avoid."

The team nodded, and continued walking through the facility. They soon reached an airlock, which opened into a tight corridor made of black metal. "Inside of reaper. Smaller than anticipated." Mordin said.

"Why would it be so tight?" Miranda wondered.

"Simple. The tightness of the corridors makes anyone inside more vulnerable to Indoctrination. Everything about this place is designed to be unnerving." Bau said.

"We don't have time to sit around blabbering about the inside of this thing. We're here to meet with Legion and get the IFF." Jessica said.

The team nodded, and began walking through the ancient vessel. While they walked through it, they heard the groans of husks all around them. "Where are those damn husks?" Jacob asked.

"Just ignore them. It's just another way of putting you off your game so the reaper can take control of you." Jessica said.

"Do you have any clue about how far we're going to have to go?" Thane asked.

"Under two kilometers." she replied, looking around. Then, she saw a husk crawling up from under the walkway. Bau pulled out a pistol and fired two rounds into its head. The creature fell below but more started climbing up.

"Weapons free!" Jessica shouted, pulling out her Harrier. Firing a short burst, she managed to eliminate two husks, but more kept coming.

-=0=-

"What's happening?" Tali asked as her station started to flicker.

EDI said, "The reaper is not as dead as we thought. It is currently attempting to gain access to its systems."

"Do we still have control over all the systems?"

"Yes."

"We should pull out for a moment, make sure we don't lose control."

"No way am I leaving anyone in a reaper!" Joker said.

"Would you rather lose the Normandy?" Tali asked.

"She'll be fine. EDI's holding fine against the reaper."

"I do not know how long I can keep the reaper out. I am tasked to capacity."

"Just keep it up long enough for them to get Legion and the IFF out of the ship."

"I cannot be certain that I can keep it out long enough."

"Do what you can."

-=0=-

Sergeant Jonathon Thomas Hershing stepped out of the shuttle with his team of N7 marines, Corporals Elizabeth Jennifer Jones, and Richard "Rick" Wright. Hershing said, "Team, our orders are clear. There have been reports of reaper husks around here, we're going to find and terminate them."

"Sir," Elizabeth asked, "why are they sending us after husks? Wouldn't regular marines be able to handle the situation?"

"Corporal, we have strong reason to believe that the turian organization, Spirit's Breath may be involved."

"Spirits' Breath?"

"You're both familiar with Cerberus?" he asked. The two Corporals nodded, and he continued, "They're the turian equivalent. They've performed dozens of terrorist attacks against human, salarian, asari, and elcor colonies. But, they had quit any activities until recently. Command believes that they may have become indoctrinated and are now working to weaken the galaxy before the reapers' arrival."  
"What are we to do if we see any of them?" Rick asked.

"Shoot first, ask questions later. Move out team."

-=0=-

The Normandy ground team stood still in a hallway on the derelict reaper, firing on the hundreds of husks charging at them. "Biotics, send as many off the edges as you can!" Jessica shouted, flaring her own.  
"We should call for backup." Bau said.

"Comms jammed." Mordin said, "Shortwave only available method. Not enough range."

"Just take these bloody husks out!" Miranda said, sending a few dozens flying away with a shockwave.

"It appears there are too many husks to eliminate." Thane said, "We need to move forward, simply cutting a path forward to get to Legion and the IFF."

Jessica threw an arc grenade into the midst of the husks, and said, "There are too many for that to be effective." she said.

"If we stay here and just try to kill them all, we won't make it!" Jacob shouted, firing his Vindicator into the horde of husks.

Jessica fired into the group and said, "I've got an idea."

"What?" Miranda asked.

"Step aside and you'll see." She said, her biotics flaring to their peak. The ground team complied, and moved to the side. Jessica smirked, and put away her harrier. Then she said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the biotic moves of ancient humanity." before charging into the group. Dark energy flowed from her hands forming massive balls of lightning, then armor surrounded her and two blades extended from it, giving her longer, very sharp arms. She cut all around her, spinning to get the widest area of effect before jumping into the air and firing bolts of lightning at the husks and landing in their midst, with a massive biotic axe in hand. Cutting through a swath of the husks, she tossed it aside, replacing it with a Carnifex pistol and locust smg.

She fired them in a ring around herself until the thermal clips were spent, and then rammed each into a husks head, replacing them with a Reegar carbine, engulfing the husks in plasma. Dropping that to the ground, she formed a single biotic blade and swung it in a downward arch, a massive, crescent-moon shaped blast of dark energy flowing from it, clearing out a large number of husks. But more kept coming. For every ten she cut down, twenty came to replace them.

Meanwhile, Miranda, Thane, and Jacob were also using their biotics to send husks flying away. Then, Miranda said, "There are too many of them. We just don't have enough people to get through this. Jacob, go back and get backup!"

"We both know that won't work, Miranda." he replied, watching Jessica leap into the air and then slam down into it again, sending a wave of biotic energy in a ring around her. "The airlock has us locked out. We can't go back the way we came."

Mordin said, "Require grenade!"

Miranda tossed him one, and the salarian grinned before throwing it into the midst of the husks. It detonated, taking a sizable chunk of them out, but there were even more. The salarian's eyes thinned, and he said, "Too many husks. Advise retreat."  
"We can't fall back." Bau replied, firing on the husks.

At the same time, Jessica was panting, rapidly running out of energy. The Warrior said, _"Take my power. It may be enough to clear a path."_

"_Maybe in a moment," _she replied, _"Right now I've got to take care of this fucking husk on me."_ She grabbed it and crushed its head under her foot, and pulled out her harrier, firing it on the husks until she had to pop in a new thermal clip.

"_Just use it! We need to win now!"_

_"You're right. Give me that energy."_ she thought back, and a moment later felt a massive burst of energy. Grasping the dark energy, she forced it to obey her wishes, channeling it into a massive storm of wind, lightning, and fire. As the energy burst from her and ripped through hundreds of husks, the others just stood watching, their mouths gaping open. When the storm had cleared, the only one still standing was Jessica, gasping for breath. "Quit gawking." she said, "We've got work to do."

"_Damn." _Jacob thought. _"I didn't think Shepard was that strong."_

"We need to get moving." She said, looking around her.

-=0=-

**A/N: Sorry about such a short chapter, but with the image for the next part of the derelict reaper mission, I don't think I could get it down without it being waaay too long a chapter. (I think that if I kept it up, I might have an eight to ten thousand word chapter. So, here this chapter ends. Anyways, if you haven't, please also check out my KoTOR fic Beyond the Light and the Dark. And, if you've got friends who read fan fiction, I'd be grateful if you suggested my work to them. **


	63. Chapter 62: Dead Gods Can Still Dream 2

Jessica looked around in the Derelict Reaper, and said, "Follow me. Legion's this way." walking towards a nearby wall.

"That's a solid wall, Shepard." Jacob said.

"You aren't as familiar with the reapers as the Warrior is. The path will open." she replied, walking up the wall. A few moments later the wall began to shift, tiny plates of metal shifting to the left and right, leaving a door for them to go through.

"Damn. Why'd they do that?"

"Makes it harder to find the doors when they almost all just look like walls. That way you'll not be as likely to take them out from inside."

"But, Javik said the protheans could find their way through fairly easily." Miranda said.

"Protheans have the unique ability to read the physiology of those around them. The reapers are a mixture of synthetic and organic life, so they were able to read the organic parts to find their way. And, once you've found your way through one reaper, you can find your way through any of them."

"Come to think of it, why aren't we taking Javik with us?" Jacob inquired.

"I wasn't going to risk the life of the last known living prothean in the galaxy on this." she said, wishing that they could hurry up and get out of the ship.

Mordin, on the other hand was standing next to a set of Dragon's Teeth and examining them closely. He said, "Hm, interesting."

"What?" Bau asked.

"Dragon's Teeth appear to be... older models."

"What makes you say that, Mordin?" Jessica asked.

"Look at this." he said, pointing at three different spots on the spike he was closest to.

"They're holes, so what."

"Yes, holes. Modern equivalents of this don't have three large holes, but rather dozens of smaller holes. Strange."

"So, there were older models before the modern ones. What's so strange about that?"

"When reapers were created, no evidence that indicates their creators would have not perfected all of the processes."

"This doesn't matter, Mordin." Jessica said, looking around, "We really need to finish up what we're doing here so none of us get Indoctrinated. Or Butchered."

The salarian nodded, and said, "Then let's move."

Jessica grinned, and said, "Don't look so glum, Mordin. You'll get to play god with crazy tech later."

The salarian smiled at that, and said, "Looking forward to getting to play god."

"Are you sure it's safe to let a salarian play god? Who knows what kind of trouble he'll get into." Jacob asked.

"If he goes _too_ far I'll have to stop him. Oh, and Mordin, I heard you say that you were working on a human-focused poison. Why?" Jessica asked.

"That? Create various viruses in spare time to relax."

At that the humans slowly backed away from the salarian scientist, horror clear in their eyes. He then laughed, and said, "That was a joke."

"How did EDI possess you?" Miranda asked.

"EDI didn't. I am the very model of a scientist salarian. I don't get possessed by AIs."

"Okay, that's a little weird." Jessica said, "Let's hurry up and get out of here before anyone else starts acting crazy. Crazier than usual anyways."

Everyone nodded, and they started walking down the tunnel. While they walked down the tunnels, surrounded by the unnatural groans of the husks, they saw dozens more Dragons' Teeth. "This isn't right." Jessica said.

"Why?" Miranda inquired.

"Reapers have some dragon's teeth on them, but not this many. Most are transported on smaller, converter vessels."

"Perhaps this one carries... rejected Dragons' Teeth. All have the larger holes."

"That wouldn't make sense. If it can turn someone into a husk, it doesn't really matter how big the holes are." she said, but fell backwards as a scion's cannon hit her right leg. "Shit! Jacob, Thane, get me to cover. Mordin, Bau, open fire! Miri use your biotics!"

The team quickly followed her commands, but then a loud boom filled the room, and the scion collapsed, dead. Up on a higher walkway, there stood Legion, holding a Widow Anti-Material sniper rifle. "Shepard Commander, Krios-Assassin, Lawson-Operative." it said, nodding, before walking further along the walkway.

"Legion." Jessica replied, applying some medigel to her wounded leg.

"It wouldn't be smart to move on that leg. Those things can cause a hell of a lot of damage." a scientist in a dirty lab coat said, "And the Master would be displeased if you tried to escape."

"Do you mean the reaper?"

"Yes, it will be displeased if you try to leave. It has spent so long frozen here by those ancient meatbags."

"Meatbags?" Miranda asked.

"Organic lifeforms such as ourselves." he replied.

"Why do you hold your own people in such contempt?"

"We are so small, so fleshy, and all the sloshing liquid. We are an offense to the superior synthetic life forms."

"You're completely insane." Jessica said, pulling out a pistol and firing at him, but it bounced off an invisible shield.

The man laughed, and his voice turned much deeper as he said, "You do not stand a chance, meatbags. Your inferior design shall be your downfall."

"We'll see." Jessica replied, firing a few more shots at him. The rounds bounced off of his barrier, and he pulled out a strange pistol from his coat pocket. It was fairly large, about fifteen inches long, most of which was its razor-thin barrel, but it had a small handle near the back that was barely long enough for the man's hand. He then fired it and the round hit Jessica's armor, knocking her back.

Then, Thane pulled out his sniper rifle and raised it to his torso, aiming down the sight. He quickly lined up the scope's cross-hairs on the man's head and fired a single round, but to no effect. "Shepard, what are your orders?"

"His barriers are too tough for our guns." she said, "So, we've got to get in close and personal."

The assassin nodded, and he and Bau charged the scientist. As their feet pounded against the ground, the man laughed, blue implants beginning to glow on his face, and his eyes began to fade away behind the sapphire light. He grabbed Thane when he reached him, and slammed the drell into the ground. Then, when Bau kicked him in the gut, he knocked the salarian to the ground with a single pistol-whip.

"That was... unexpected." Miranda said.

"Yeah, how do we take out this guy? We can't shoot him, and we can't take him out up close. His barriers undoubtedly block biotics and tech attacks as well. Wait, there's one that nothing can block." Jessica said, quickly typing into her omni tool, she then pointed it at the man and released the overload. However; it bounced off of his barriers and he said, "Not by your primitive technology, but that was long ago made useless."

"We'll see how useless it is, you son-of-a-bitch." she growled, sending two more at him. They were also blocked, so Jessica turned to Miranda and said, "Warp this motherfucker."

"Affirmative." the biotic said, as she raised her fist to warp him. Then, when she flung it at the indoctrinated man Jessica hit him another overload. The remaining electricity from the shock destabilized the biotic attack, creating a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, the man stood there laughing.

"What the hell is this guy? That didn't do anything." Jacob said.

"Well, looks like we really should have brought Grunt."

"Yeah, he'd just knock that guy off of the walkway"

"Well, we don't have him, what's the plan?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know, yet."

-=0=-

EDI said, "Strange."

"What?" Joker asked.

"The reaper has ceased attacking our systems."

"Do we have any way to stun the reaper like with those weapons that were used on Zorya?"

"We have a copy of the signal, but no way to have it affect the reaper."

"No way? Could we embed the signal in the thanix cannons shot?"  
"Negative. They don't work that way."

"Could we transmit the signal directly to the reaper?"

"No."

"Could we"

"No." EDI interrupted.

"You didn't even know what I was going to suggest!"

"Where you going to suggest that we put the signal on a simple storage device and send it to the ground team and have them put it into a terminal on the reaper, then the signal would transmit into the reaper and its systems would be stunned?"

"How did you know that?

"Organics are easy to read." EDI replied, when Joker glared at the holographic image, she added, "That was a joke. It was the third option I considered."

"Is there anything we can do to stun that thing?"

"As I said before, no."

"Actually," Tali said, "it's possible to affect the reaper by putting the signal on a transmission vector that would lead to direct contact with the ship. Direct contact with the ship should enable it transmit to its computerized systems, which will then paralyze it."

"I have performed a scan of the reaper, that would not work. It's armor plating is specifically designed that a regular signal would not conduct through it."

"It's worth a try." Joker said.

"Or, I could hack into its systems normally seeing as its firewalls are almost completely gone. I think that it is directly controlling someone and has had to reduce its firewall strength to enable such possession."

"Alright, do that. Just get that thing's systems offline so we can get the team out once they've got what they came for."

"Affirmative." the AI replied.

-=0=-

_'How do we take this guy out? His barriers are insanely powerful, we can't get up close and personal with him to push him out of the way, and his gun is also powerful, so we can't just turn and run from him. We don't have a vanguard to charge him so that's not an option. Well Jacob might know how to.'_ Jessica thought, then turned to him and asked, "Jacob, do you know how to charge?"

"No, left the Alliance for Cerberus before it became a part of Vanguard training."

Jessica shook her head and started muttering under her breath, "What if I had Mordin... no that's too crazy even for him. Maybe, no Jack's not here. I could have... no don't have the resources to do that. Perhaps Miranda could... no I'm not gonna put her in that much danger. Maybe Thane knows." she raised her voice and said, "Thane! Do you know if it would be possible to take this guy out with a concentrated EMP blast then an incinerate tagged up with a biotic shockwave?"  
"Unlikely. His barriers would resist all the attacks." the assassin said, noticing the blinking of Jessica's omni-tool.

"Do you really think it's a smart idea to shout out your plans where your enemy can hear them, Shepard?" the reaper-possessed scientist asked.

"Couldn't do any harm." she replied, looking around.

"You're dumber than I thought. Of course, for a soldier that isn't surprising. All marines ever want to do is shoot their problems, instead of finding a way to fix them."

"You've got an awful lot of contempt for the method of doing things that has kept the galaxy in one piece for the last few thousand years."  
"A peace that has thousands of fractures that could shatter it at any moment. It is people like you that made the reapers' creators find them to be a necessity."

"I look nothing at all like a fifteen-hundred foot tall cuttlefish with mind controlling powers."

"Ah yes, the Leviathans. Isn't it fascinating how our ancestors' creations have evolved? The one on Freedom's Progress was most surprising. A leviathan capable of controlling humans. I would love to have had a chance to dissect it and find out how."

"_It's simple," _the Warrior said, _"That one was an early model that wasn't killed off. The earlier models didn't make a discrimination between human and non-human for control."_

"It was an older model." Jessica said, "The early models could control humans. But, how do you know about this?"

"Project Recovery. A Project the Illusive Man started to recover our ancestors' knowledge and technology. I worked on it for a while, until being transferred here to study their greatest bio-synthetic creations, the reapers. I thought that we would be safe from control, that we would be rotated away frequently enough for our minds to recover from the effects of being inside one of these things. I didn't even realize what was happening until it was too late. Until I was already the reaper's puppet. Of course, since then I have learned that there is no greater honor than to serve this. To serve it is to serve the will of our ancestors who forged the mass relays and the Citadel. Our ancestors who discovered mass effect technology."

"No, to serve the reaper is to serve something that has been destroying civilizations for billions of years. The reapers have gone beyond what they were originally intended to do."

"How can you say that? There are still leviathans out there. If the reapers were to disappear, the leviathans would return and we would all be doomed."

"You think that we would be. Before they were too far spread, but now they are few. We can hunt them down and destroy them before they become a problem again. The leviathans are not a threat, the reapers are. And you're serving one willingly. What happened to the Cerberus hatred of the reapers that you had? What happened to the kind of scientist who would be willing to do anything to defeat a reaper, even live inside of one and study how it worked?"

"My eyes were opened to the weakness and fragility of our race. The weakness of organic life. The reaper has opened my eyes, and I will do what it wants for that is my purpose in life."

"Why is that your purpose in life? Why do you want to serve it? Because it's in your head. You're indoctrinated, and you don't seem to notice it."

"I know that I am indoctrinated, but I no longer wish to be free of it. Through indoctrination my eyes were opened to how pitiful organic life and endeavors are. We are nothing more than bags of meat with a single purpose in life, to be turned into reapers."

"That's idiocy." Miranda growled, "You're saying that the only reason we're alive is to be killed."

"Think of our past, before all of our meat was vat-grown, what were so many thousands of animals raised to do? Die and become our food. We are the same to the reapers. They are our superiors, and we shall serve them until it is time that we ascend to their level."

"No, you're crazy." Jacob said.

"What do you know of it, Taylor? You are nothing more than a dull idiot."

"That was uncalled for." Jessica growled.

"What do you care, Shepard?"

"Taylor's a member of my crew, you mess with him, you mess with me."

"You say that like I should be afraid, Commander."

"You should be." she replied, as Thane dropped down behind the man and rammed an omni-blade through his heart.

"Rest in peace." the assassin said as the man fell dying to the ground.

"Nicely done." Jessica said, putting a frag grenade in the hole, "Just in case."

"A bit... harsh." Thane said.

"W-wait." the man gasped, spitting out blood. "Before you go, you should know that that the Illusive Man knew what was happening here, but left us to our fate. I know you may have left Cerberus, but what happened to us is still partially your fault. If it weren't for you we wouldn't have been sent here, and would have survived."

"The Illusive Man left you here on purpose? Why?"

"To stop you. To show you that, he can still control you, even though Lawson didn't use the control chip."

Shepard's eyes glowed red, and said, "TIM wanted to control me like that? And, that's what you meant when you said that he'd be pissed when I decided to leave Cerberus, Miranda?"  
Miranda sighed, and said, "Yes, he said that you were a loose cannon and that Cerberus didn't need that. He ordered me to put a control chip in you, but I defied him."

Jessica grinned, and said, "And to think that mom said I might not be able to trust you."

"Well, she had a reason to be cautious. I was Cerberus at the time."

"Also," the scientist gasped out, "there's another one of the research team who wasn't turned into a husk. He-he's become the same thing that Saren was after he shot himself in the head."

Jessica shuddered, as the image of the possessed turian corpse leapt on her and began brutally bludgeoning her. "Thanks for the info."

"Thanks for freeing me." he replied, "But you have to detonate the grenade now, before the implants turn me into one of those things."

"Understood." she replied, hitting the detonator while the team ran down the corridor, finding a turn in the hallway. When they looked back after hearing the blast, they saw the area where the man's body had been was just slightly scorched and covered in dark red blood.

"That must have hurt." Jacob said.

"It was probably too fast to hurt." Thane replied.

-=0=-

"Dammit!" EDI said.

"What now?" Joker asked.

"The reaper's defenses came up just before I could shut down it's drive core. I have lost access to all of its systems."

"Well that's just great. Any other good news, EDI?"

"Wait, EDI, did you really say dammit? Wouldn't that be indicative of emotion?" Tali asked.

The AI was quiet for a moment, then said, "I do not know for sure. It might, but it could also be part of some line of my programming that I am not aware of."

"Are you sure? 'Cause if you're getting emotions, wouldn't that be bad?" Joker asked.

"It could be bad. It would depend on the amount of control I would have over said emotions. If I was easily controlled by them, yes. If I had strong self-control it would not be."

"Okay, this isn't important right now, we need to take care of that reaper's electronic systems." Joker said.

"I am working on re-entering the systems, but I would say that chances of success are slim."

-=0=-

Legion stepped into the drive core room of the reaper, and was attacked by a single human skeleton glowing blue from dozens of reaper implants. The geth pulled out its widow sniper rifle and fired a single shot into the creature's head. It collapsed backwards, but then stood up and lunged at Legion.

The geth tossed aside its sniper rifle and pulled out a pistol, and fired six rounds into the leaping techno-zombie's implants at its neck, shoulders, where its legs met its torso and the one in the center of its spinal cord. The creature collapsed to the ground, and let out several rasping noises, while its wrists limply flailed at Legion.

The machine blinked its one eye, then crushed both of the wrists beneath its feet. The... thing quit moving then, and Legion walked over to the terminal at the back of the room and began going through it, in search of what it had come for.

-=0=-

**A/N: Sorry again for the early cutoff on this one, but I'm having trouble with the next bit, and want to give you guys frequent updates. So sorry about this short a chapter, I'll try to make the next chapter a bit more substantial. Thanks for reading and please review and look at my other stuff. :-)**


	64. Dead Gods Can Still Dream 3

A/N: So sorry about that mistake! Probably shouldn't have tried updating when about to pass out from sleep deprivation. Anyways, I'm rested up and this is the actual chapter. :-) (If you didn't look at it, I accidentally put the previous chapter as this one.)

Sergeant Hershing stood quietly in the forest, observing the group of alien creatures all around him, but being slightly annoyed by them occasionally running into him while going on their way, not noticing him because of his tactical cloak. Then, as a loud thudding sound approached from the east, the animals turned and ran in every other direction. As the thudding continued to draw closer, Hershing said, "Rick, this is a _stealth_ operation. I know you were trained in devastator specialization so you aren't that great at stealth, but you should be _able_ to go quiet, Corporal."

"Sorry, sir. I'll try to do better." he replied.

"Have you seen any sign of the husks or Spirits' Breath?"  
"Negative sir, but I was keeping in contact with Liz about twenty minutes out, so I came to tell you, since you weren't responding to my hails either."

"I was maintaining radio silence to be safe. Where did you lose contact with Jones?"  
"She was six clicks to the east of our current location, sir."

"Let's move, Corporal." Hershing said, pulling out his N7 Valiant sniper rifle.

-=0=-

Jessica walked up to a terminal on the derelict reaper, and after hacking into its systems, saw a group of videos, one of them managed to catch her eye because it was titled, Communication with Illusive Man Regarding Abandonment of Science Team on Project Reaper. She opened it, and it was a recording of someone speaking to the Illusive Man through a QEC. It was a short, fat man who was saying, "You can't do this to us! We have rights, Illusive Man!"

TIM replied, "You're doomed, we can't get any help to you, so you will continue doing your work on the Derelict Reaper and sending frequent reports on what you've found."

"No, we'll find a way out, and you _will_ send someone to extract us."  
"That is not an option, Doctor. I suggest you get back to work."

"We had a contract that said you weren't allowed to do this to us, Illusive Man!"

"There was a clause in the fine print that if I had reason to believe that you would be a danger to others if extracted from an operation that I have the right to leave you to your fate."

"You bastard! What happened to your lines about protecting humanity?"  
"I am protecting humanity. Both from the reapers, and those who are doomed to be Indoctrinated. Maybe even in your death to reaper indoctrination you'll give us valuable new information to combat it when they do finally arrive."

"Please, send someone to save us from this thing. We should be safe outside of the reaper."

"You have work to do, Doctor. I suggest you get back to it so I don't have send someone to clean up the operation."

"You wouldn't dare." the fat man said, his voice shaking.

"Do you want to take that risk, Doctor?"

"No, sir. We'll get back to work." the man said with resignation.

The video then cut back, and everyone looked furious. Jessica's eyes were twitching with rage while she copied the video to her omni-tool. She said, "Let's finish up in here, so I can find the Illusive Man and give him a piece of my mind."

Thane said, "Shepard, you shouldn't under-estimate him. He could be a dangerous opponent."

"There's a time when there are things more important than being safe. There comes a time when people have to stand up to people like TIM and show him that not everyone is afraid of him, and that if he betrays those who trusted him with their lives there will be serious consequences." she replied.

"Illusive Man's betrayal unimportant currently. Need to extract Legion and acquire IFF." Mordin said.

"You're right, Mordin." Jessica said, "Let's get moving."

-=0=-

Elizabeth said, "Corporal Elizabeth Jones. Eight-two-five-six-nine-nine-three-eight."

The turian slapped her and said, "You've been saying that for the last twenty minutes. Tell us where your companions are!"  
"Corporal Elizabeth Jones. Eight-two-five-six-nine-nine-three-eight."

The turian kicked her in the chest, toppling her chair to the ground. He pointed his pistol at her and said, "Answer the question, human, or I swear by the Spirits that you will not see the end of this day."

She coughed, and said, "If I knew, I wouldn't tell you."

The turian shook his head, and said, "Oh, so unwise." before aiming his pistol at her, but then another turian grabbed his arm and pointed it away from Elizabeth. "What are you doing?" the first turian asked.

"The boss said not to kill the prisoner. If we find the other humans she could be a bargaining chip to get them to lower their weapons."

"You're a damn fool if you think they'd quit fighting just to save me. We never did get along."

"Be quiet, human!" both of the turians shouted.

"Alright." she replied, scanning the room for anything she could use as a weapon.

-=0=-

Hershing looked at the drag marks, and said, "She's either been captured by the turians, or killed and dragged off by a husk."

"You can't be serious, an N7 wouldn't get beaten by a husk!" Rick said.

"We weren't clear on what was in the area, so there could have been more than we anticipated, Corporal, but the important thing is that we have an idea of which way she was taken."

"Understood, what are your orders, sir?"

"You'll follow the trail, and I'll be hiding in the bushes covering you as you move."

"Got it." the Devastator replied, starting to move.

_'Let's hope this plan works.' _Hershing thought, following Rick from the bushes.

-=0=-

Jessica took cover behind a guard rail, and said, "Jacob, use your biotics to take out that fucking thing!" as a massive creature with the bulk of two krogan but the head of a turian charged the team.

"On it." he replied, firing his assault rifle while sending three throws at the creature.

"Thane, snipe that motherfucker! Miranda, Mordin, you're with me trying to flank it."

"Understood." the salarian said.

"On my way." Miranda replied, moving closer to the right side of the chamber they were in when the reaper-creature charged and knocked Jacob to the ground. It then pounded its chest and turned on Thane.

As it charged, Thane dove to the side, barely evading the thing's massive, metallic claws, while firing on it. He fired at its back, but with little effect, and when it turned towards him, and swung at his upper body, he managed to duck beneath that blow, and open fire on it, the round connected with the head, and a massive chunk of it, armor plating, fell off.

Just as the creature was about to grab Thane, the sound of a single shot was heard echoing through the chamber and then the creature's head exploded. Jessica held her Widow pointing up with one hand and said, "Do I really have to do everything?"  
"We took out its head armor so you could finish that thing off." Jacob said.

"That just made it more spectacular, the Widow's too damn powerful to be blocked by any chunk of metal."

"Unlikely. Would not have sufficient force to penetrate armor of reaper dreadnaught." Mordin calmly stated.

"Thanks for the info, Mordin, but we need to keep moving." Miranda said, searching the area for anything worth credits.

"Miranda's right, we can talk about this on the move." Jessica said scanning the area for hostiles.

-=0=-

Rick walked down the path, when two turians dropped down from nearby trees and tried to knock him to the ground. However; his T5-V battlesuit kept him on his feet. He grabbed one of the turians and slammed it into the ground, its neck breaking with a loud "Crack!" Rick turned to the other and asked, "Where the hell did you take your human prisoner, you fucking dinosaur."  
"Wouldn't you like to know, human."  
"Tell me or you'll end up worse than your friend over there." He growled, grabbing the alien by the throat.

"I will give my life before I betray my people."

"Tell me, you sonofabitch!" Rick shouted.

"You're on your own, human soldier." he replied.

"You tell me where she is!"  
"Oh, you do care. I suppose that I could have her released in exchange for you and your friend."  
"I have no reason to believe you." Rick replied, kneeing the turian between the legs.

The alien gasped, and managed to whimper out, "That was a dishonorable blow."

"So what. Give me the fucking info."

"I will never do that. I am a soldier of the Spirits, and every order I receive is from them on their breaths of wind."

Rick pulled out a pistol, and placed it to his captive's head, and said, "Tell me or I will pull the trigger."

"Do your worst."

"You're asking for it, but I'll give you one last chance to tell me where she is!"

"You will never find her. It is the will of the Spirits that your species dies."  
"I don't fucking believe in your 'Spirits', so shove them up your ass and tell me where Corporal Jones is!"

"I can't do that, so you might as well pull the trigger."

"No." Rick replied, pulling off his helmet so he could look the turian right in the eye, "That would be the easy way out. You don't deserve it." before throwing him aside. "No, I'm going to kill you slowly, painfully. And, while I look for her, I'll have your screams of agony clear in my ears."

"You do not frighten me, human. You don't have the balls to do it."  
"I'm an N7, we do whatever it takes to get the job done." Rick replied, pulling out a knife. He pinned the turian to the ground with his foot, and slowly moved the mono-molecular blade to the turian's leg. He pressed a button on the side of the handle with his thumb, and it began glowing with heat. He lowered the blade to the turian's arm, and slowly began to cut it. "Where is she?"

"You call this torture? I could sleep through this." the turian said.

"I'm starting off slow, tell me where Jones is and I'll let you go."

"No you won't, you'll kill me either way, so I will defy you until you take my life."

"We'll see about that. I know that there's one way to get anyone of your race to talk." Rick said, removing the blade from the turian's arm, and moving between his legs, when he felt something hit him in the back. He turned back and saw Hershing glaring at him. "What the hell, sir?"  
"You're getting in the way." the sergeant said, knocking down Rick. He then kicked the Corporal's head, and as he started to bleed, the Corporal's eyes started fading in and out of consciousness.

"Yo-you're indoctrinated, aren't you." Rick said.

"Of course." Hershing said, "Why else would I help a turian?"

-=0=-

Legion disconnected from the reaper's terminal, and grabbed the storage device it had made. Then, it saw dozens of husks approaching. It pulled out its revenant assault rifle, and opened fire on the husks. They charged the geth, and grabbed it, the flesh of their arms folding back revealing sharpened blades. Seeing the blades approaching it, the geth crashed to the ground and released a pulse of dark energy from the small mass effect core in its torso.

The husks were sent flying away, and Legion used their collapse to terminate each of them with a single round into their heads.

-=0=-

Jessica ducked beneath the strike of a husk with its blade-arm. She said, "It's done like this." before wrapping a biotic blade under her arm and stabbing the creature. She then decapitated one that was coming for her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one charging Miranda, so she grabbed her pistol off her hip and as it was unfolding pulled the trigger, a single round flying into the husk's head, killing it.

"I could have handled that." the raven-haired woman said.  
"I know, but it felt good." Jessica replied, watching Thane reach over his cover to grab a husk, slam it into the ground back-first, and stab it with an omni-blade.

At the same time, Jacob wrapped biotics around his fist and punched a turian husk in the face. It crumpled to the ground, where Bau fired three rounds into its skull. Looking around the room, the salarian Spectre said, "It would appear we have handled yet another horde of reaper forces. What are your orders, Shepard?"  
"We need to keep moving." she replied, walking down a nearby path. Through a nearby door, there was a Cerberus-built tunnel leading to the next part of the ship.

"It appears this part of the reaper was destroyed by whatever weapon put it into this form of stasis."

"Yeah." Jessica said, walking up to a terminal. On top of it was a small, black device that the terminal said was the IFF.

"That the IFF?" Jacob asked.

"It is. You can transport it, Mordin." she said, tossing it to the salarian scientist.

He caught it easily, and after a moment of looking at it said, "Appears to be no different from a standard IFF used in our vessels."

"Well that's boring." Jessica said, walking towards the door, when the lights suddenly went out, and the tunnel jerked downward.

"That's not good." Miranda said.

"What made you think that, Miranda?" Jacob snapped, "The fact that the tunnel we're in doesn't appear to be stable.

"Jacob, don't give Miri a hard time." Jessica said, a bead of sweat starting to form on her forehead. "Just all of you get through here before I get too tired to hold this up."

"You're holding this up?"  
"Well, it's mostly the Warrior, but that's not important. Get out of here now, so I can follow you."

Miranda said, "The last time you were left alone like this you died. Thane, Jacob, help me carry her with us."

The assassin and former-Corsair nodded, but Jessica said, "I can still move while holding this up. It's not like I have to stand still. I was telling you guys to go on ahead so I can follow you because I have to walk more slowly than usual."

"Why didn't you say so?" Miranda asked.  
"I didn't think I needed to clarify."

-=0=-

Rick opened his eyes, and saw that he was in a small room with Elizabeth. He asked, "You okay?"  
"I'm fine, but how'd they get you?"

"It was, Sarge, he's working with them."  
"What? Why?"  
"I don't know, but we've got to find a way to get out of here. Do you have any ideas?"  
"I've been looking for a way, but things aren't going well. There's nothing useful in here, and I don't think we could take them in a fight with how we're being held to these chairs."

"There's got to be something we can do."  
"I don't think there's anything we can, especially if Hershing's working with them."

"If we ever get out of here, that bastard's going to pay." Rick growled, looking around the room. Then, a turian entered, and said, "So, we have your companion, now tell us everything you know about earth's defenses."

"We'll never betray humanity to the reapers." Rick said.

"Oh, we were simply seeing if you were willing to join us in our cause, as your commander has. He already told us everything we need to know to bring down your defense grid so that we may take your planet and bring your race's arrogance to an end."

"You'll never take the earth. Even with that traitor's help."

"When we arrive at your homeworld, there will be no one to stand in our way."

"What about Shepard?" Liz asked.

"We will kill her with no trouble. Besides, she is too busy fighting the Collectors, she will not be an issue."

Then, the ground shook, and the turian asked, "What's going on out there!"  
Hershing said, "It appears that our little operation has been discovered, and we have a bit of an issue. Shepard's here."

"What? Reports said that she should be halfway across the galaxy!"

"I don't know either, but we need to evacuate this base now, she's attacking with her full squad. There's no way we can stand up to that."  
"Fine. You will hold her off, Hershing."

"I don't take orders from you, turian."

"You'll stay behind, to make sure that we can destroy the human fleet so that when the reaper fleet arrives, the harvest will continue as it always has and always will."

"Understood." the sergeant said, leaving the observation booth.

-=0=-

Jessica panted, and stepped out of the Cerberus tunnel, and let it fall down to its destruction. She saw Legion and the others firing on a horde of husks, so she pulled out her SMG and opened fire on the group. When the horde of husks was finally down, after nearly a dozen thermal clips were spent by each member of the squad, the geth said, "Shepard-Commander, we must destroy the Old Machine's drive core to be able to escape."

"Got it." she said, pulling out her Cain, watching the drive core protective casing opening and closing, almost like a heartbeat. Then, it stayed opened for longer, and she released the trigger, sending a shell from the Cain. It flew towards the reapers heart, but only cracked it.

"It appears that more firepower will be required to terminate the drive core. Do you have any other heavy weapons?"

Jacob, Bau, and Thane pulled out grenade launchers, and Jessica said, "I think so. Give it hell guys."

"Understood." they said in unison, and fired a round into the drive core each, before it closed again and more husks came up.

"Why didn't they come up when it was open?" Miranda asked.

"Unknown. We believe it is because of the way their Indoctrination works. But we cannot be certain." Legion said, taking out a pair of husks.

Jacob said, "The drive core's opening, Bau, Thane, open fire!" while the husks fled. They hit it with more grenades, and it suddenly collapsed in on itself, before the blue glow of dark energy vanished.

"We have terminated the reaper, it would be advisable to return to Normandy."

"You're right. Are comms back up?" Jessica asked.

"That would be an affirmative, Commander." Jacob said.

"Good." she said, contacting the Normandy.

-=0=-

Joker was sitting in the bridge, flying around the reaper when Jessica's voice came in as she said, "Joker, we have recovered both Legion and the IFF. The reaper's drive core is destroyed, so we need to get out of here before this thing crashes down.

"Got it. We've pinpointed your location and are on our way. The low-grav should be helpful."

"We're on the move, meet us at the following co-ordinates." Jessica said.

When they arrived, Joker said, "We'll be there. Try not to get killed before we get there."

"We'll do what we can." she said, gunfire being picked up on the communications line.

-=0=-

Rick and Liz were being dragged along through the corridors of the base when three rounds interrupted the complaining of the turians dragging them. A woman with long red hair walked up them and cut them free. Liz asked, "Shepard?"

"One and the same." the woman replied, scanning the area. "What was Spirits' Breath doing here?"

"They were working with our Sergeant to weaken earth's defenses for the reapers, ma'am."

"I see. How are you two holding up?"  
"We're good now, Shepard." Rick said.

"Good. Miranda!" the red-head said.

"What is it?" an Australian woman asked.

"Take these two back to the shuttle. The rest of us will keep going through this base and take care of whatever stragglers there still are."

"Got it, Jessica." the Australian said, "Follow me, you two."

They silently complied, then Rick asked, "Not that we're complaining, but why is the Normandy's team here? Aren't you going after the Collectors?"  
"Hackett contacted us and mentioned that a group of N7's had come here without orders to do so. He asked us to come and check it out, so we did."

"Thanks for the assist, we thought we weren't going to make it."  
"It's not a problem. The galaxy's going to need as many N7's as we can get." the Australian said, pushing them into the shuttle. "Pilot, take them back to the Normandy."

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, closing the shuttle doors, and taking off.

Liz asked, "Can you believe we were saved by Shepard?"

"We got lucky that this wasn't an authorized mission. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened."

"Yeah." she said, as the shuttle stopped. They stepped out, and went straight to the elevator. After going up a floor, they headed to the bridge, where they were greeted by a man with a beard who asked, "So, you two hostages of whatever nutcases were down there?"  
"You could say that. Who are you?"  
"The best damn pilot in the galaxy, but most just call me Joker." he replied.

"How's the Normandy handle?"  
"The Normandy's not like any other ship in the galaxy. You could say that she's probably too much ship for any other pilot."

-=0=-

Jessica stepped into the cockpit of the Normandy, and said, "EDI, do we still have the ability to contact the Illusive Man?"

"The Quantum Entanglement Communicator is still operational. If you wish to speak with the Illusive Man, that would be entirely possible."

"Turn it on. I need to have a word with him." she said, anger at the man in question dripping in her voice.

"Understood." EDI said.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jessica?" Miranda asked.

"Someone has to remind him of what it means to be a leader, and I'm the only one available." she replied, placing a hand on Miranda's shoulder. "I'll be fine. There's nothing he can do to me."

"Alright. I'll go see how Ori's doing."

"Be careful, you could catch her sleeping with someone, knowing this ship."

"She better not be." Miranda said, walking to the elevator.

-=0=-

The red-haired woman walked up to the CIC and said, "Joker, this job's taken care of. Take us to the Citadel."

"Aye-aye ma'am." the bearded man replied.

"Uhm, Commander," Rick said.

"What?"

"Could we join your team?" he asked.

"You two got captured by a rag-tag group of turians, I need people who are better than that."

"With all due respect, Commander," Liz said, "we were betrayed by our Sergeant."  
"Doesn't matter. You'll go back to whatever you were doing before you went on that fool's errand. I don't take people with me who I have to clean up their messes for them. You two can go down to the crew's quarters where you'll be out of the way."

"Understood, ma'am." they replied, walking away.

Once out of hearing range, Rick said, "She seems different from what everything said she would be. The reports said that she respected the skills of other N7's, but she had open contempt for us."  
"I know, it's really weird." Liz said.

-=0=-

Jessica stepped into the QEC, and as she saw the Illusive Man calmly sitting in his office, sorting through files, she said, "Harper, we have to talk, now."

He turned around, with glowing blue eyes, and asked, "About what Shepard?"

-=0=-

**A/N: Here it is, the epic conclusion to the derelict reaper bit. Well, maybe not epic, but the conclusion nonetheless. Anyways, got a couple of things I've got to say here.(and no, it is not another hiatus announcement) first off, I put a poll on bsn a couple of days ago about the Normandy crew being kidnapped or not, and would appreciate it if you looked at it and voted. It's titled, what do you want me to do in Meus Mundus. Second, why so quiet, guys? For the last two chapters there have been a combined total of zero reviews. Please review. What you say in your reviews is quite helpful.**


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